Dominance will be the key for Kovsies as they look to claim a second title this season when they start the Varsity Sports netball competition this weekend.
The team from the University of the Free State has already been crowned USSA champions earlier this year and will look to continue that good run of form as they near the end of the season. Kovsies is regarded by many as favourites for the title, not only because of their earlier success at university level, but also because many of their players were part of the Free State side that was crowned national champions a couple of weeks ago.
Kovsies thus has a lot of momentum and will look to use that to their advantage in the first couple of games over the weekend. They first play the NWU Puk before UP-Tuks and NMMU get a go.
“Dominance is going to be key. We have to dominate the other teams from the get go. We have a lot of momentum after we won the USSA week and a lot of the girls gained even more experience with the senior Free State side. We are ready and look forward to the challenge,” Kovsies coach Burta de Kock said.
Kovsies and Tuks are pipped as the sides to beat, but they are also the two teams who are affected the most by the absence of Proteas players. The Free State based side has to make due without nationals Maryka Holtzhausen, Karla Mostert and Adéle Niemand, whilst Tuks are without Vanes-Mari du Toit and Melissa Myburgh.
“The absence of our national players is of course a huge blow for us, but this is just another chance for some of the younger players in the squad to step up and prove their worth. Now is the time to give their very best,” De Kock added.
Kovsies should have their national stalwarts for round two of the competition as the Proteas tour to England for a series of three tests comes to a close shortly after the first round of Varsitysports matches. “We have done very well up until now. If we can close the season with another title, it will be one of our best seasons thus far,” De Kock concluded.
