The Pretoria team will be looking to carry on the successes of their first match as they take on Maties and UCT at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on the 11th and 12th of September respectively.
UP-Tuks will be fresh off of a record-breaking win when they handed Kovsies their worst defeat of the tournament. That team included three players who made their debut in game one and made their impact immediately. They have retained their places on the team despite a return of key players – a confidence boost for the girls.
“Coming from a small school in Namibia, where netball is struggling to reach the top, this is so amazing. Experiencing this level of professionalism, everything is just good. The intensity and speed of Varsity Netball is so much higher than anything I’ve ever experienced, but I see it as a way to challenge myself,” commented debutant Juzeldri Garbers on the experience of her first match.
The team’s first match will be against Maties, who will be eager to bounce back from their defeat to defending champions, Pukke. The match also offers an interesting subplot of the junior Proteas versus the senior counterparts as there were five junior Proteas featuring in the last match for the University of Stellenbosch, while senior Proteas, Lenize Potgieter and Izette Lubbe are included in the travelling team for UP-Tuks after returning from national duty. They will then take on UCT on the Monday and will hope to maintain their position at the top of the log against the second-placed Ikeys.
“The team started off with a big bang in the first week and I am excited and honoured to join them in the second week,” said Dima Mogoale, who will also feature in the team. “Great things are still to come and being a part of this amazing team is just awesome. I feel we are about to make history in Varsity Netball.”
Tuks will be in action against Maties live on the 11th of September at 16:30 on SuperSport 10.
They will then face UCT on 12 September at 16:30.
UP-Tuks team: Ine-Marie Venter, Melissa Kotze, Tshina Mdau, Marlize d Bruin, Shadine vd Merwe, Juzelri Garbers, Jasmine Ziegelmeier, Shongile Hlongwane, Lenize Potgieter, Dima Mogoale, Chantelle Swart, Izette Lubbe
By Theriso Lethuloe
