The first two rounds of Varsity Netball 2017 are done and dusted with only three teams, the Maties, Madibaz and NWU managing to win both their matches. Here are some facts from the first two rounds:
Well-travelled
Neither UP-Tuks nor Kovsies have achieved a win over the other at home. This after Tuks continued the trend by defeating the Kovsies in Bloemfontein by 53-43.
MVP
Shadine van der Merwe, captain of Tuks and lasts year’s Player of the Series, earned her sixth FNB Player of the Match award against Kovsies which puts her equal with Zandré Erasmus of NWU with the most awards.
The Cape’s Super Sub
Newcomer, the University of the Western Cape already added value in their first two matches.
Although they lost both their encounters to Maties (41-80) and the Madibaz (43-51), the losing margins are far smaller than that of the University of Cape Town (who they replaced) in the corresponding fixtures last year.
Shut Out
The 34 goals scored by Tuks in their loss to NWU (34-40) is the lowest total they have scored in a match, in Varsity Netball history.
The 25 goals by the University of Johannesburg against NWU equal their record for the fewest in a match. They only scored a single goal in the final quarter, conceding 22.
Sibling Flavour to 2017
Two pairs of sisters were in action in Stellenbosch and Bloemfontein. Ané Retief, goal keeper of Kovsies, is playing in her first year of Varsity Netball. Her older sister, Gertriana, plays goal shooter.
At the Maties their captain and goal defence, Megan Gossmann, and newcomer Nichole Taljaard, goal attack, are half-sisters.
