By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – The University of the Free State (UFS) Kovsies thrilled home supporters with a 50-42 victory over Wits during the Varsity Netball Cup hosted at the Callie Human Centre on 30 and 31 August.
The Kovsies had to fight back after trailing 25-23 at half-time. They produced a strong third quarter to lead 38-35 before sealing the win in the final quarter.
Charné van Vuuren was named player of the match.The Kovsies, five-time Varsity Netball champions, however, narrowly lost 50-48 to defending champions North-West University Eagles on Monday in a closely contested encounter.
Meanwhile, Central University of Technology (CUT) went down 59-45 to University of Pretoria (UP-Tuks) on Sunday before making history the following day by recording their first Varsity Netball victory.
CUT defeated Madibaz 41-36 after recovering from a six-goal half-time deficit. Tshegofatso Makoko was named player of the match.
The weekend also attracted members of the Free State sporting fraternity, including Free State Sports Confederation general secretary Lehlohonolo Maduna, Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation director for Community Sport Zola Thamae and Mangaung Netball Association president Marriam Moduka.
The tournament gave Bloemfontein netball supporters an opportunity to watch some of the country’s top university teams compete on home soil, while providing valuable exposure for emerging players.
The Kovsies will now look to build on their strong start as they continue their title campaign.
