WSU NETBALL TEAM DOMINATES AS IT FINISHES GAUTENG INTER-VARSITY NETBALL TOURNAMENT UNDEFEATED

The WSU netball team showcased their tenacity and skill, dominating all their opponents to remain undefeated in the recent Gauteng Intervarsity Netball Tournament held at the University of Pretoria.

The tournament served as an invaluable test for the WSU team as they gear up to compete against some of the country's most talented university players at the upcoming University South Africa Association netball tournament that's scheduled to take place at Nelson Mandela University from June 30 to July 4.

"We took part in the tournament as part of our preparations for the upcoming USSA tournament. Our goal was to test our team's strengths and combinations. The university selects its official team for the USSA tournament after trials, where 12 players are chosen. We need to ensure that these players are in sync," said Yonela Ntongana, Ibika Campus sports manager and institutional coordinator for netball and karate.

The WSU team, competing in the Senior Elite 1 Section, set the UP courts on fire during opening night as it began its campaign by defeating the hosts, Tuks, 35-14, sending a strong message to its competitors.

At noon on the second day of the tournament, WSU continued their momentum from the previous night, having achieved a hard-fought 27-22 victory over a tough Northwest University Mafikeng (NWU-M) team.

"Throughout many of the games we played, we relied on a high-pressure defensive strategy, using tight marking and quick turnovers," said Ntongana.

Exactly two hours after their first game, WSU took the court again, this time facing Varsity College in another challenging match that saw WSU triumph 34–27 over their opponents.

The University of Witwatersrand (WITS) faced a tough challenge in their last match, going toe-to-toe with the undefeated WSU for much of the game before eventually losing pace and falling short, with a final score of 30-23.

First-year Human Resource Management student and team goalkeeper, Sandanathi Lutshaba, could hardly contain her excitement as she reflected on her team's performance.

“The team showed great resilience and chemistry over the five games played. We had some tough moments, but we stuck together, adjusted when needed, and found ways to get results,” said Lutshaba.

She noted there is significant room for improvement within the team, particularly in sharpening decision-making under pressure and enhancing consistency during high-intensity moments.

By Thando Cezula