With the playoffs looming, round six of Varsity Netball 2025 at the Wits Sports Hall in Johannesburg delivered a handful of tightly contested matches on Sunday 14 September.
NWU battled past Wits in front of their home crowd, while UJ was nearly upstaged by UP-Tuks. Defending champions UFS Kovsies held on to beat Madibaz and Maties proved too much for Varsity College.
EAGLES SNATCH VICTORY
In the day’s opening match, NWU managed to hold of Wits in a fiercely contested match and stay on track for a place in the semi-finals of this year’s competition with a 59-49 victory.
The first quarter delivered intense play, with both teams going neck and neck from the start. The Eagles had to work hard against a relentless Wits defence with the Johannesburg based team not giving an inch. At the first break in play, the visitors led 12-14.
The second quarter saw more of the same, with Wits being cheered on by a boisterous home crowd. They fought hard to edge closer to their opponents and to close the gap on the scoreboard. NWU, however, managed to hang on for a 24-27 lead at half-time.
Wits used the Suzuki powerplay in the next 15 minutes to great effect in their efforts to snatch the lead from NWU. Brilliant play by the Eagles snuffed these chances and when the whistle went, the scoreboard read 41-43 for the visitors.
The final 15 minutes was a bumpy affair, but NWU put the foot down and denied Wits scoring opportunities at critical times. They starting stretching their lead to eventually secure an important 49-59 victory.
UJ KEEPS TOP SPOT
UJ clinched a hard-fought 45-38 victory over UP-Tuks to maintain their number one position on the log and take one step closer to that elusive first Varsity Netball title.
In a closely contested match, the Orange Army managed to stay one step ahead in the first quarter. Despite Tuks’ attempts to remain on attack at all times, UJ gained the upper hand, with the first 15 minutes ending 12-7 in their favour.
The Pretoria team came out strong in the second quarter, displaying a high tempo and a fighting spirit. They defended tightly and scored goals in quick succession to narrow the gap. UJ, on the other hand, swiftly rectified mistakes and intercepted key balls in the mid-court. Tuks managed to close the gap to just a three-point lead for the log leaders (20-17).
In the third quarter, the Orange Army was stunned by the brilliant interceptions of their opponents. It disrupted their momentum and somewhat limited their scoring opportunities. Despite Tuks scoring two vital goals in the Suzuki powerplay, UJ closed out the quarter with a 33-27 led.
Tuks came out all guns blazing in the last 15 minutes with two successive goals in an attempt to deliver a shock result. But UJ refused to back down and fought hard to maintain their lead and ultimately seal the win.
TITLE FENCE BOOSTED
UFS Kovsies overcame a haltering start to claim a commanding victory 69-55 over Madibaz, setting their sights on a successful title defence.
The match began with high intensity as both teams displayed determination and a strong intent to win. Madibaz, who at the beginning of the season scored an upset win over NWU, established a three-goal lead in the opening five minutes. Kovsies then turned the tables and went to the first break 16-11 ahead.
Coming back to battle for the second quarter, Madibaz once again attempted to find their rhythm. But the defending champions’ aggressive defence and sharp interceptions proved too much as they snatched up loose balls and stretched their lead to 38-21 at half-time.
In the third quarter, Madibaz continued to play catch-up as Kovsies didn’t give them any pace. The latter dominated, gaining possession in the attacking phases and the scoreboard told the story at the end of the period (53-36).
The last 15 minutes saw a determined Madibaz, intent on narrowing the gap, but Kovsies snuffed any chances of another upset and made sure of a comprehensive victory.
MAROON MACHINE MARCH ON
After just having their noses in front in the first half of the match, Maties eventually hammered newcomers Varsity College with 61-28 in the last match of the round .
The Maroon Machine had to be content with a determined Varsity College in the first 15 minutes. The newcomers threw everything at their opponents and went into the break only three-goals behind (14-11).
In the second quarter, Varsity College continued to exploit the open spaces in midcourt and stayed focused and composed, but Maties increased their offensive intensity and led 22-19 at half-time.
The team from Stellenbosch threw down the gauntlet in the third quarter with high pressure and fantastic interceptions. It was a tough time for Varsity College and the gap on the scoreboard grew to 44-26.
The strong defensive strategy of Maties proved to be decisive in the last 15 minutes, as they secured a significant victory.
- Round 7 of the competition takes place at the Wits Sports Hall on Monday 15 September. The fixtures are as follows: Madibaz vs Varsity College; Maties vs UFS Kovsies; UJ vs NWU; and Wits vs UP-Tuks.
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