Varsity Netball 2025 got off to a flying start with plenty of action with the first two rounds at the Coetzenburg Indoor Centre in Stellenbosch on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 August.
Eight university teams are again vying for the coveted title, including the talented women from Stellenbosch University, who were in action against University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Wits respectively.
Maties took to the court in the competition’s match against UJ on Sunday, but suffered a 39-54 loss against the team from the north.
The home side came out firing in the opening quarter, racing to an early lead and unsettling the Orange Army. But UJ, last year’s finalists and reigning University Sports South Africa (USSA) champions, soon found their rhythm and began to close the gap. By half-time UJ had turned the game around.
With Protea star Tarle Mathe dictating play, the visitors lifted the tempo and forced Maties into a string of costly errors. The pressure told as UJ went into the break leading 20-26.
UJ’s control only grew in the third quarter. Smooth in attack and disciplined on defense, they stretched their lead to eight points, while Maties struggled to replicate their strong start. At 29-37 heading into the final quarter the outcome seemed inevitable.
The Orange Army sealed the win with a clinical finish in the final 15 minutes, combining slick attacking combinations with relentless defensive pressure. Their depth and composure proved too much for Maties, underlining their status as serious title contenders once again.
CLIFFHANGER
In their round-two match against Wits on Monday, Maties narrowly edged their opponents by a single point in front of a buzzing home crowd.
The game began with Wits seizing the early momentum, silencing the Maroon Machine with sharp attacking play to claim a 12-14 lead at the first break. The visitors looked confident, throwing down the gauntlet in the lion’s den.
Maties, however, regrouped impressively in the second quarter and after several key changes, the they turned the tide with a clinical display, finding their rhythm on attack and tightening their defense. Their composure paid off as they opened up an eight-goal advantage to lead 31-23 at half-time.
The third quarter continued in the same vein, with Maties stretching their lead to 44-34. At that stage the result looked all but settled, as Wits struggled to replicate the spark they had shown in the opening minutes.
But Varsity Netball rarely follows the script. Wits launched a stunning comeback in the final quarter, clawing back all of Maties’ advantage to level the score. With the crowd on its feet, the Maroon Machine held their nerve in the dying seconds to snatch a one-point victory.
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