Maties will get another crack at winning their first Varsity Netball title when they take on North West University Eagles in this year’s final in Stellenbosch next week.
It will be the Eagles’ fifth appearance in a final, having defeated Maties in 2015 and scoring a close victory over Tuks a year later to win their second successive title.
While NWU already has two Varsity Netball titles under the belt, Maties are still looking for their first crown. Said Maties coach Zanele Mdodana: “We just have to make sure to tick all the boxes next week.”
Maties left it until late in the fourth quarter of their semi-final, but for the second year running they have made it all the way to the final of the Varsity Netball tournament as the only undefeated team after a hard-fought 43-35 victory over the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in Stellenbosch on Monday (10 October).
The Maroon Machine had to fight through four of the tightest quarters in the competition, going into the half-time break two points behind the Orange Army, who made their first appearance in the semi-finals of Varsity Netball.
Maties called their power-play with 12 minutes to go, managing to grab a couple of goals and edge ahead ever so steadily. The UJ bench were out of their seats with a few close calls by the umpires going against them with even the normally cool, calm and collected Bongi Msomi not able to hide her frustration.
In the end, it was experience that trumped youthful exuberance, without taking away though from what coach Msomi has managed to achieve at UJ in just a couple of years.
Said Maties’ Danielle van Nieuwenhuizen: “I just had to adapt to whatever position the coaches wanted me to play in. It was blood, sweat and tears, but we did it!”
