Dominant Navy sinks coastal opponents

The Navy Netball Club came away with two wins while Eleven Arrows Netball Club defeated Blue Waters Netball Club in the second leg of the MTC Namibia Netball Premier League fixtures played at Kuisebmond netball courts on Saturday.

Navy defeated Eleven Arrows by 57-33 in the first match played on the day. Team Navy came out storming and clinched the first quarter of play 15-6.

They continued to set the pace and won the second quarter of play 32-13, then added another 13 points while Arrows hit the target seven times in the third quarter of play (45-20).

Arrows launched a concerted effort in the final quarter, but Navy hung on and weathered the storm for a 57-33 victory.



Aiming for the top spot

Navy captain Anna 'Sharp Shooter' Kaspar said they knew it would be a difficult game.

"We expected that and it did not deter us from going for the win. We knew we had to be more physical and that we had to match our opponents player for player."

She said the fact that Tigers handed Namibian Correctional Services a defeat on the day served as motivation for her and her team-mates.

"We are aiming for the top spot and that result coupled by our own form suit us well."

Kaspar, who is also the Namibian Desert Jewels national team captain, encouraged Namibians to take sports seriously. She also urged supporters and companies to come on board in order to take netball to greater heights.



Hostile crowd

The second match saw the experienced Navy taking on and defeating a youthful Blue Waters by 62-25.

Kaspar continued her fine goal-scoring form with another solid performance at the hoop.

"She maintained a 100% shooting record and scored 49 goals against Arrows (57-33) in the first match and another massive haul of 52 goals in the 62-25 victory over Blue Waters later in the day," confirmed Michelle Brooks, the match commissioner.

Navy clinched the first quarter of play in the very physical game (17-9). The second quarter finished 30-17 and the third 43-22 in favour of Navy.

"I am very proud of how we went about our business today. We took all the quarters of play from the start until the end, despite having a hostile crowd and coming up against a very determined team," Kaspar said after the match.



Minor issues

"I am happy with the way my charges performed. There are still a number of minor issues we still need to iron out at practice," Navy coach Angela Mukoya said. She added that the team will be working extra hard in training.

"We need to defeat Namibian Correctional Services to move into the second spot on the log. Our aim is to ensure that we score a top three finish this season."

Mukoya named wing defence Maria Kashopola as the player of the match against Arrows and goal defence Monique Basson as the player of the match against Blue Waters.



Hard-won victory

Arrows redeemed themselves with a hard-won 41-2 victory over archrivals Blue Waters in the final match of the day. Both teams came out blazing, with Blue Waters pocketing a low-scoring first quarter of play (5-3). Arrows, however, hit back and established a five-points lead (16-11) at the end of the second quarter.

The players put their bodies on the line for their respective teams and evenly matched one another. Spurred on by a group of vociferous supporters and with slick play, Arrows managed to maintain their momentum and clinched the third quarter 24-19, secured the victory and the final quarter with 41-29.

"We lost one game and this win means the world to us. It matters a lot and ensured that we will survive the cut. We panicked in the first quarter of play but I am very happy that the girls delivered in the end. We are looking forward to our last games of the season," Arrows captain Taimi Nashima said.



Upcoming fixtures

The next two rounds of matches will take place in Kuisebmond.



Round 11 on 17 September

Mighty Gunners vs Afrocat Lions (12:00)

Eleven Arrows vs Grootfontein (12:30)

Blue Waters vs Tigers (14:00)

Navy vs Young Stars (15:30)

Namibia Correctional Services vs Rebels (17:00)



Round 12 on 18 September

Afrocat Lions vs Blue Waters (9:00)

Tigers vs Northren Fly Ballers (10:30)

Eleven Arrows vs Young Stars (12:00)

Namibian Correctional Service vs Navy (13:30)