The University of the Free State’s netball side is bound to finish on the podium, having secured a berth in the semifinals of this year’s Varsity Netball tournament.
The reigning champions showed their pedigree after a slow start to defending their title. They have fully capitalised on their home ground advantage by playing at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein, increasing their chances of reaching a semifinal.
The Free State outfit made their intensions clear with back-to-back wins over the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). In the semifinal Kovsies and TUT will clash for the third time.
The Stellenbosch University’s Maties will face off against the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the other semifinal match.
The semifinals will take place on Monday (10/10) and the final match a week later.
The Kovsies team was under immense pressure to secure a slot in the top four, going to round six and seven of the competition. This situation came about after losing against Maties and UJ in the opening games. A bronze or silver medal will be the only consolation for Kovsies if the winner’s trophy is out of their reach.
The Kovsies boast four titles, won in 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2021 – and they are looking to extend this list to five. In last year’s final, they beat Maties, who are equally determined to claim the prestigious cup to atone for last year’s blunder.
