Kovsies handed hosts UP-Tuks its only defeat of the season in the final of the Varsity Netball tournament to retain the crown as champions of this exciting tournament on Monday night. The final score was 49-42 in favour of the girls from Bloemfontein. Although they had to travel to Pretoria to play the previously unbeaten UP-Tuks, Kovsies showed their pedigree with a polished performance. Both teams fought hard from the outset, and a number of early turnovers and it took a while for Kovsies to open the scoring. With the Mostert sisters winning a couple of crucial balls, the Free State side dominated possession in the opening exchanges. UP-Tuks eventually got on the scoreboard, but could not stop the defending champions from racing out to a 9-3 lead after ten minutes. By the first break, the visitors had established a 13-5 advantage, which kept the crowd in Pretoria fairly quiet. The home side rallied in the second quarter and showed great determination as they fought their way back into the game. They ran hard, but it was hard work against a classy Kovsies side who managed to hold on to take a 22-16 lead into the half-time break. The visitors took their power play early in the third quarter and managed to stretch their lead out to 30-22.They managed to maintain that valuable buffer by making the most of their opportunities and went into the final quarter with a 39-31 advantage. UP-Tuks made a number of changes at the final break in a bid to fight their way back into it, but they could not avoid what was a 49-42 defeat in the end.