If you look at the numbers the Maties Netball team have had their best ever season to date, and the best is that they are backing themselves to go one better.
Their place in the semifinals has been confirmed and the girls have both form and history on their side.
In 2013 the team scored 368 goals in their eight-game season, finishing in sixth position. They recorded three victories, but lost to NMMU, Pukke, Kovsies, UP-Tuks and UJ. The average score in their campaign was 46-45, showing that both attack and defence needed work.
The next season they scored 357 goals in a seven game regular season, improving their tally to four victories and qualifying for the semifinal. The average score improved to 51-40 in favour of the Maties, but a big 46-68 defeat against Tuks showed that the upward curve still needed to continue.
Cut to 2015 and the team has had a phenomenal season, scoring 415 goals and only conceding 244 thus far. They collected five victories against NMMU, UJ, UCT and VUT and beat the Pukke for the first time.
The team also pushed Tuks close at 51-54 and on Monday night they battled manfully against the defending champion Kovsies, going down 33-41 in a pulsating match.
If you compare the results against the other semifinalists, who are the big three of Varsity Netball, the trend is even clearer. In 2013 Maties lost 29-52 against Pukke, 33-56 against Kovsies and then nearly beat Tuks 48-51. The next year they lost 37-48 against Pukke, 34-62 against Tuks and 29-56 against Kovsies. Going from average scores of 36-53 and 33-55 to 43-44 shows a marked improvement in both attack and defence, and the ability to keep up with the powerhouses.
On Monday night the girls will look to keep on rewriting the history books and beat Tuks in Pretoria. The Jacaranda City has been kind to the Maties in 2015, having hosted them in victories over UJ and UCT. Hopefully the scene is set for the Maties to keep their 100% record intact on Monday night.
By Dorfling Terblanche
