The first bumper weekend of the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament kicked off with much fanfare at the Rembrandt Hall at the University of Pretoria. It was the first time in three years of full-on action after the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 tournament took place in a bio-bubble in Stellenbosch.
There were no surprises on Day One with defending champions Kovsies sending a clear signal they are going after a record fifth title. There were also victories for former champs, the NWU Eagles and Tuks. Maties scored a runaway victory in their quest for a first title, having had to settle for the runners-up spot in three previous finals.
Steady and calm does it for the NWU Eagles over UJ
The NWU Eagles began their 2022 Varsity Netball campaign with a commanding 60-48 victory over UJ. It was a battle of wills between the two-time former champions from Potchefstroom and the team from Johannesburg, coached by Protea captain Bongi Msomi.
The Eagles started on a high note and had a comfortable lead at the end of the first quarter. UJ looked revived in the second quarter, causing critical turnovers. Their more experienced opponents, however, remained calm and retained their lead going into the halftime break.
UJ staged a comeback in the third quarter, reducing NWU’s lead to just four goals but goal shooter Nomfundo Mngomezulu missed two important chances to make things even closer. The deadly NWU goal circle duo of Elmeré van der Berg and Lucy Strydom kept the scoreboard ticking over, ensuring an impressive win.
NWU goalkeeper Martiné Jordaan had the UJ attack on their toes throughout the match, setting an intensive tone for the rest of the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament. She was deservedly named as the player of the match.
Bongi Msomi (UJ coach): “Discipline is what killed us, we lost a lot of balls at crucial times and we if we can’t control it, we can’t deal with it. I think it has a lot to do with nerves and we have to allow these young players the space to come into a tournament but this is a group that will step up when they need to.”
Quarter scores: 15-9 | 32-24 | 41-34 | 60-48
Match stats: Goal Percentage – NWU 76% UJ 72% |Intercepts – NWU 6 UJ 8 | Penalties – NWU 51 UJ 48
Player of the match: Martiné Jordaan (NWU)
Defending champs Kovsies send warning with victory over UWC
Kovsies came to the Rembrandt Hall with only one mission – to dominate their first game as defending Varsity Netball champions. And this they certainly did with an emphatic 65-43 over UWC. The Western Cape team put up a good fight, but their efforts were simply no match for the defending champions.
UWC were caught napping in the first quarter as they had minimal chances with Kovsies clearly being the better side, capitalising on most of their opportunities. Kovsies goal shooter Alyssa Trahms asked a lot of questions from the UWC defenders, making sure her team had a 25-goal cushion halfway through the match.
Kovsies took a bit of a breather in the third quarter with UWC outscoring their more fancied opponents 13-11. The Capetonians kept up the pace in the last 15 minutes of the match, losing the final quarter by only two goals.
Sikholiwe Mdletshe (Kovsies): “All of our players got some running time on court and that’s what you want from the first game. We are not focussing on defending the title, we are focusing game by game, centre pass by centre pass. If we can focus on each game, the title will come.”
Quarter scores: 18-8 | 43-18 | 51-31 | 65-43
Match stats: Goal Percentage – Kovsies 78% UWC 87% |Intercepts – Kovsies 17 UWC 9 | Penalties – Kovsies 47 UWC 58
Player of the match: Sikholiwe Mdletshe (Kovsies)
One-way traffic as Maties steamroll TUT
Maties shrugged off the disappointment of losing last year’s Varsity Netball final against Kovsies on home turf in Stellenbosch with a 86-21 drubbing of TUT. This is one of the biggest victories in the competition’s history, with the biggest being Tuks beating VUT 110-28 in 2018.
The Pretoria team stayed within touching distance in the first quarter, scoring eight goals against a formidable Maroon Machine. Maties stepped it up a couple of notches in the second quarter though, with Protea goalkeeper Nicola Smith not giving TUT’s shooters much space.
Maties picked up where they left off after the halftime break, continuing their total dominance over the Tshwane outfit. Both teams rotated their bench to keep the
tempo up in the last 15 minutes of the match. Maties captain Sian Moore capitalised on her chances in the goal circle, with the shooter earning herself the player of the match award.
Sian Moore (Maties): “It was the first time for five of our players taking to the court in Varsity Netball, so it was absolutely great for the depth of our team. It was inspiring, they did what they were supposed to do, they stepped up and I’m really proud.”
Quarter scores: 16-8 | 39-15 | 65-20 | 86-21
Match stats: Goal Percentage – Maties 95% TUT 61% |Intercepts – Maties 20 TUT 3 | Penalties – Maties 56 TUT 43
Player of the match: Sian Moore (Maties)
Tuks use home ground advantage for victory over Madibaz
Two-time Varsity Netball champions Tuks made a winning start to the 2022 Varsity Netball tournament when they beat the Madibaz 69-41 in the last match of Day One. The home team took to the court with a reshuffled squad having lost the majority of their players.
Both teams got off to a slow start, but Tuks managed to edge ahead after the first 15 minutes. Jenny Van Dyk’s side finally got the momentum going in the second quarter with goal shooter Alice Kennon making fewer mistakes in getting the ball into the hoop.
After halftime, Tuks came out blazing as they started to dominate the Madibaz and they stretched their lead to a comfortable 33 points by the end of the third quarter. The last quarter saw Tuks put the icing on the cake for a comfortable victory.
Jenny van Dyk (Tuks coach): “There’s the expectation from ourselves to put up a good standard and we didn’t get to the standard we want to play at, but you get a younger group and you build so you can give consistent performances. But it’s still a long way to go and a few big battles ahead of us.”
Quarter scores: 16-10 | 32-20 | 52-29 | 69-41
Player of the match: Alice Kennon (Tuks)
ROUND 2 – 18 SEPTEMBER – Rembrandt Hall, Tuks
13:00 – UWC vs NWU
15:00 – Tuks vs TUT
17:00 – UJ vs Madibaz
19:00 – Kovsies vs Maties
*All games are broadcast live on SuperSport.
by Lehlogonolo Ditshego
