BLOEMFONTEIN – Incoming University of the Free State (UFS) women’s netball head coach Karla Pretorius has set the bar clear – a sixth Varsity Netball title would be the perfect farewell gift for the Kovsies’ longest-serving and most respected mentor, Burta de Kock.

The Kovsies continue their title charge in a high-stakes semifinal showdown against their fierce rivals, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein. Kick-off is at 19:00.

The winner will take on the victor of the other last-four clash featuring the North-West University (NWU) Eagles and the University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) at the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria. That one gets under way at 17:00. Both sides boast three titles each and are hunting their fourth.

The illustrious De Kock is chasing a historic seventh final and has already guided the Kovsies to five Varsity Netball titles – 2013, 2014, 2018, 2021, and 2024 – and boasts an extraordinary record in gold-medal matches. Last year, she stood on the podium as runner-up after a 49 – 57 defeat to the NWU Eagles in Bloemfontein.

Pretorius, who serves as assistant coach and understudy to De Kock, pulled no punches about what the campaign means to the squad.

“This is personal as it is Tannie Burta’s last time as head coach and as part of the Kovsies. This is more personal for her than the previous years. We really want to make it special for her. So, this is what we are aiming for and want to achieve in this edition of the tournament,” said Pretorius.

Pretorius made no secret of the team’s burning ambition to crown their coach’s farewell with silverware, describing a sixth title as the squad’s ultimate goal to honour their mentor. She vowed that the players would unleash their full potential in tonight’s adrenaline-pumping semifinal against a gutsy UJ side chasing a maiden trophy.

“We are definitely going all out to make sure we are lifting that trophy,” she said, determined to leave nothing to chance in what promises to be a high-tempo contest and a masterclass in tactics.

The Kovsies know the feeling of ruling this tournament all too well. They beat the UJ 58 – 55 in extra time at the Callie Human Hall to lift their fifth Varsity Netball title in 2024, cementing their status as the most successful of the eight teams in this premier universities’ tournament.

Now, with De Kock’s legacy on the line and a sixth crown within reach, the Kovsies have every reason to believe the script is written for one final, glorious chapter.

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