Abby Herrod was voted Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week after scoring four goals in a win against Walsingham Academy.

Herrod has picked up where she left off her junior season at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. She came into her senior season wanting to take her game to another level and, so far, it has shown. NSA sits with a winning record and is well regarded in state girls’ soccer polls. She has scored more than 20 goals on the season and has more than five assists to go along with that. Her performance against Walsingham was dynamic but could have been looked at as the norm for a player like Herrod.

“I thought I played pretty well,” she said. “We didn’t come out as strong as we could have as a team, so I knew I needed to provide a spark. Luckily for me, the spark didn’t die out, and I was able to score four goals.”

Herrod scored four of the team’s five goals. It is impressive considering how she felt that she had been in a slump the last couple of games before the Walsingham game. She didn’t let the slump bother her, and she came back with a confidence-building performance.

NSA currently has a record of 12-4-1. They are already up four wins from last year’s record, and the team can feel itself steadily improving. Herrod came into her senior season focused on one thing, and that was winning a state championship. She feels great about her team’s chances and is hoping it comes to fruition in the next couple of weeks.

“I feel pumped about this team we have,” she said. “We have come out super strong this season and are ranked higher in polls than we have been in the past. We have our eyes set on a ring. I am super blessed to have such a strong team for my last year. Having the season we are having is a great way to end my last year.”

Herrod is on track to lead her team in scoring for a third straight year. Her coaches and teammates know what she is capable of, and it is all because she is driven by winning. NSA lost in the state quarterfinals last season, and Herrod’s play has shown that she wants to go further this year.

Regardless of how the rest of the season turns out for NSA, Herrod believes that the season can still be considered a success.

“Our win total keeps rising, and we keep rising up people’s rankings,” she said. “I think we have put NSA girls’ soccer on people’s maps.”

Herrod says her friends and family push her to be the best she can be. Her teammates are also a big part of her inspiration. Without them, she could have never had the success she wanted to have.

While Herrod will soon complete a stellar soccer career at NSA, she has chosen to focus on her education in college but will likely play club or intramural.