The NWU netball team ended their 2021 Varsity Netball tournament disappointingly, losing their third/fourth playoff match against Tuks by 62–48.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Elsunet du Plessis’ young team, which had started the tournament brightly with a win against the same Tuks side. The NWU could’ve been in the final, battling it out with Maties, but lost the semi-final against Kovsies 66–65 by a hair’s breadth.
One point stood between NWU and a place in the final and an eventual fourth place.
It was quite a rollercoaster ride for NWU, whose loss against Maties and Kovsies in the round-robin stage seemed to have dented their confidence somewhat. Even though the team couldn’t achieve a final spot, there were still many highlights.
The rise of the goal shooter, Elmeré van der Berg, was a sight to behold. She certainly justified her recent inclusion in the Proteas team. The captain, Jessica du Plessis, also had a good all-round tournament, playing in numerous different positions. In defence, Caitlin Rousseau and Nicolene van Heerden also had some top moments.
The NWU can now build on the positives to get the team ready for championship contention. 
