Netball Super League | Team Can Win Remaining Fixtures, says Severn Stars Player

Severn Stars player, Maryka Holtzhausen, says she believes her team have it in them to win their remaining fixtures of the season as they prepare to face second-placed Loughborough Lightning.

The team faced tough times earlier this season, including losing two games in the dying seconds of a match, having been in the lead.

But shooter Holtzhausen said this had served to make the team stronger and, after winning a key double-header against Surrey Storm last weekend, this had given the team great confidence.

“I definitely feel we have it in us to win our remaining games and I think as a squad we expect the best out of each other to make that possible,” she said. “We just need to keep on trusting our structures and leave nothing out on the court.”

However, she admitted this Saturday’s (June 2) match against Loughborough Lightning, off the back of their win against previously unbeaten Wasps, will prove a tough test.

Holtzhausen, who played a season at Loughborough Lightning, said she was really looking forward to the match against her former team, at the Leicester Arena. “I think if we play consistently over 60 minutes we can definitely be in there competing for the win,” she said. “They have had a good win against Wasps so I am sure they will still be buzzing from that, but we have every intention to go out there and play the best game we can.

“We will definitely have to take care of the ball in hand and capitalize on every turnover. Like all the teams in the Superleague, we cannot give Lightning the opportunity to score off our own ball and then we need to make sure our turnovers go to goal.”

Last weekend, Stars came out on top beating Surrey Storm 55-43 on Friday and 51-42 on Monday.

“I’m very happy with what Stars put out on court over the double-header weekend against Storm,” said Holtzhausen. “Obviously there are still many things we want to improve on, but we have come a long way and it feels like we are really starting to connect as a team. Winning a few matches definitely gives us confidence going into the last few matches of the season, but we still know there is a lot of hard work ahead of us if we want to keep the favourable results rolling in.

Holtzhausen said it was a privilege to play for Stars, a joint franchise between the University of Worcester and University of Gloucestershire. “Through hardships teams can either grow closer together or drift apart, but after some really close losses and tough matches we have just grown stronger as a team,” she said. “Whatever we face I think we face it together.”

Stars’ next home game is against UWS Sirens at the University of Worcester Arena on Monday, June 11, at 7pm. For tickets visit www.severnstars.co.uk.

Photo credit: Rockpool Photography

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