Netball Super League | Round 7: Rhinos clinch their second victory whilst Harvey shines for Lightning

Leeds Rhinos clinched their second win of the season after toppling Surrey Storm in Round 7 of the Netball Super League.

Alice Harvey and Lois Pearson shone for their respective clubs as Loughborough Lightning and Manchester Thunder both notched victories.

Elsewhere, Severn Stars got back to winning ways and London Pulse held off a fightback from Cardiff Dragons.

Rhinos weather the Storm

Leeds Rhinos roared to their second win of the season with a 64-60 win over Surrey Storm.

A closely matched contest the whole way, Rhinos edged the win with the same seven holding the court throughout all four quarters to see it through.

A consistent and clinical attack was delivered by wing attack Amelia Hall, who racked up an impressive 48 feeds into the circle to help the home side clinch their first win since victory over Strathclyde Sirens in early March.

Joyce Mvula and Peace Proscovia went toe-to-toe in opposite circles, the two goal shooters both achieving a 93 per cent accuracy, missing just three goals apiece.

But the Rhinos shooter had the edge, netting just two goals more which made all the difference.

A missed shot in the final few minutes from Rhinos meant that Mikki Austin‘s side were able to close the gap to just one goal but it was centre Cassie Howard who took charge and was able to feed the ball forward to get her team ahead for the win.

Congratulations to Joyce Mvula who earned herself the age partnership player of the match award in our second win of the season 💪🏽 🥇 pic.twitter.com/SNSG5uLabA

— Leeds Rhinos Netball (@RhinosNetballSL) March 29, 2024

Harvey shines for Loughborough

Alice Harvey provided a defensive masterclass to ease Loughborough Lightning past Strathclyde Sirens with a 72-36 win in Glasgow.

The goal keeper’s stats don’t lie, taking three rebounds, four interceptions, 10 deflections, one pick up and ten gains.

Harvey was joined in defence by Annabel Roddy and Jade Popoola who provided similarily masterful performances to deny the Sirens attack any room for possession.

Lightning raced ahead in the early stages to hold a 22-11 lead by the end of the first quarter and from there they never let up.

Sirens saw a boost of strength in the third quarter, with standout performances from Millie Sanders and Hannah Leighton in midcourt.

Despite their efforts, some missed shots and the dominating power of Lightning saw Sirens succumb to their seventh consecutive loss of the season.

Off the charts 📈

10 deflections, 10 gains and 4 interceptions tonight wins @alice_harveyy her second @Kissimmee Player of the Match award in a row! 🏅

Congratulations on another incredible performance Alice! 👏 pic.twitter.com/nz09CEHdaS

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) March 29, 2024

Stars back to winning ways

Severn Stars held off a late comeback to clinch a narrow 58-56 win over Saracens Mavericks.

Sigi Burger was the standout for her team, bearing the load with 52 goals, whilst also winning three rebounds in the circle.

Burger was joined in the circle by Lefebre Rademan and Suzie Liverseidge as interchanging goal attacks, with Liverseidge also standing out in defence by earning a deflection and interception.

A strong third quarter from the visitors saw them head into the final 15 minutes with a five-goal lead before extending their advantage to seven with just five minutes remaining.

But the home side did not back down and Jodie Gibson notched a crucial turnover to spring Mavericks into action.

The introduction of Kira Rothwell on court brought a new spark of life to Camilla Buchanan‘s side but the home side ultimately ran out of time in their comeback and fell to defeat.

Back to winning ways 💫@SevernStars have claimed a narrow two goal victory on the road after a nail biting encounter with @SaracensMavs ⚔️#NSL2024 | #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/8iHuRipQSQ

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) March 29, 2024

Pearson fires Thunder to dominant win

Lois Pearson was almost perfect as she helped Manchester Thunder to a 79-42 win over Team Bath.

In front of a raucous home crowd, the Thunder goal attack was a powerhouse all over the court, netting 31 goals whilst grabbing two deflections, three pick ups and one gain.

But the stat to take the game was the centre court dominance of Nat Metcalf who produced to an incredible 56 feeds into the circle.

Combined with the power of Shadine van der Merwe at goal defence, Thunder were unstoppable all over the court, taking control early and proving their stamina with a roaring final two quarters.

Bath mounted a comeback in the second quarter, losing by their smallest margin of 14-11.

Jayda Pechova worked hard for Bath as goal keeper. Fighting against Paige Reed and Elmerè van der Berg and providing a defensive wall for the visitors but it was not enough to alter the overall outcome.

And that’s time! 🔔

3️⃣️⃣ @thundernetball power through to victory against @TeamBathNetball this evening, adding another 3 points to their name. #NSL224 | #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/wdy9FgxXCs

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) March 30, 2024

Pulse hold off Dragons comeback

London Pulse produced a brilliant first half of netball to clinch a 52-37 victory over Cardiff Dragons.

The visitors stormed ahead early on with a dominant second quarter catapulting them to a 29-13 lead at the half.

Halimat Adio and Izzi Phillips were powerhouses for Pulse, Adio impressing with four interceptions, five deflections and nine gains.

Holding a comfortable lead, Sam Bird’s side were suddenly forced into a tight battle in the final 30 minutes of play.

Dragons’ Jacqui Newton returned after the half looking to change the tide for the Welsh side and notched a turnover at the start of the third quarter to showcase her team’s intent.

Naughty but nice from Newton 👌

🔄 @cardiffdragons_ defender Jacqui Newton with a cheeky little turnover for her side in the opening minutes of the third quarter. #NSL2024 | #SeeUsNow pic.twitter.com/LoB9WB1J7v

— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) March 30, 2024

The tide did turn, with Dragons narrowly winning the third quarter 12-11 before also taking the fourth quarter 13-12.

The change came through defensive power for the home team, Newton linking up with Leah Middleton and Khanyisa Chawane to block the Pulse attack.

But a slower first half proved the difference and Pulse walked away with the victory to keep themselves in the top four of the table.

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