Izanna Muller, wing attack and captain of the NWU-Pukke, will have a tough job on her hands to help motivate her team to beat the Maties in Stellenbosch on Monday, when they square off in the final of the third Varsity Netball tournament.
Pukke have been there before in 2013, but this will be a first for Maties. Not only will Maties be playing at home, but are the form team and got the better of the Potchefstroom outfit little more than two weeks ago.
“Maties is a well-balanced team with good defence and attack. They are also a team that has shown a lot of progress since last year and have a strong fighting spirit. I am sure the hall will be packed with supporters and netball lovers to watch a brilliant game,” Muller, who is playing in her third year of the competition, said.
According to her, the win over Kovsies – the reigning champion, only unbeaten team and the hot favourite – will be remembered for long.
“It is definitely at the top of my list, and it was also sweet revenge for us to come in as the underdogs and keep the unbeaten team from playing in the final. We were focused and motivated to play accurate netball. We kept ball in hand and played as a unit. We had a lot of energy and fought until the end.
“As a team, we have been building since the first weekend of Varsity Netball. We have worked hard, stayed positive and kept on believing in each other and our coach,” she added.
On her personal game she said she is confident in her ability to make a difference on court, especially on the attacking side.
“I am a calm player and I believe I have the experience and skills to support my team and contribute to a win in the final,” she stated.
By Ruan Bruwer, Volksblad
