With the last round of Varsity Netball taking place next week, the team from Port Elizabeth is out of contention for the semi-finals this year, being 6 points adrift of fourth place and their next opponents, Maties, who are on 21 points.
Even if they manage to beat Maties with a bonus point on Monday, they will fall one point short of the last semi-final spot.
It is disappointing to come to terms with after such a great start to the campaign and having high hopes coming into the tournament. They were let down by their home performances, where although they fought hard, just not enough was done to win those vital games against Tuks and NWU. But with one last game to come, they will be looking to finish off on a high.
Maties are sneaking through at the moment because of the five bonus points to their advantage with NMU achieving just three this season. Which goes to show the power of the bonus points.
The other semi-final spots have been taken by North-West University, University of Pretoria and the University of Free State, with Stellenbosch making up the fourth spot. With regards to who will be playing who, the last round will be an interesting battle considering the teams are close in terms of points.
With last year’s winners, NWU, sitting pretty on top of the log, winning every game this season, with a huge goal difference in their favour, they have the form and confidence to retain the title they won last season for back-to-back Varsity Netball crowns.
For NMU, they will be playing for pride and looking to prove that they were just unlucky to miss out on a semi-final spot. Catch their final game on Monday 25th September live on TV at 19:00 from the Coetzenburg Indoor Centre in Stellenbosch.
By Shawn Marsh
