After enjoying the extra hour in bed, the Div 2 squad arrived at Loughborough in torrential rain. I don’t think anyone will be turning up in socks and sliders again! Some key members of the squad were missing due to the half term break, so I was excited to make the journey back from uni to see this so far undefeated team in action - no pressure! We were also joined by Mia B and Phoebe H from the futures/U16s respectively for their first opportunity to be part of the senior set up.

We knew this was going to be a tough game, with both teams coming in undefeated and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The first quarter started fast! In the shooting circle Chloe and Macy were under an intense amount of pressure, but they didn’t let it faze them and their netball did the talking - shots swishing into the net from the far reaches of the circle. In the centre court the three J’s - Josie, Jackie and Jess - controlled the game, working the ball beautifully down court and playing it around the circle edge as Chloe and Macy fought off the tight defence. In defence myself and Nicole worked well as a unit to pick off intercepts and force errors from the Grasshoppers attack. Nicole was a pleasure to play with, and her communication was key for picking up loose balls around the circle. It was easy to see why she was chosen to step up into the vice-captain position with Sophie absent. The first quarter ended with Storm 14-11 ahead.

We kept the combination the same going into the second quarter as we worked to build our lead. The game was conservatively called a boxing match by the bench but we kept calm and shrugged off the battle scars. 27-19 at half time.

There were changes to both teams at half time. For Storm, Charlotte replaced Jackie at WA and showed great vision with some lovely feeds into Chloe. But Grasshoppers also made key personnel and tactical changes which were immediately noticed on court. We struggled to react as we watched our lead slip away from us and before we knew it the score was 29-29. Yet we were led by the youngest player on court as Josie found an extra gear and lifted the rest of the team with her just in time for us to prevent Grasshoppers going ahead. We lost Chloe with a couple of minutes to go after one fall too many, Charlotte admirably stepping up to fill big shoes and closing out the quarter which ended 37-36 to us. A tense final quarter awaited.

An ice pack did the trick and Chloe was able to make her way back on court as we settled back into the starting formation. Grasshoppers may have thought they had us, but a little pressure was all we needed to lift our game to the next level. In a game in which she got battered, Macy was amazing, working her way round the circle and popping up where the defenders least expected. Jackie’s on court leadership was key as we fought to build another lead, keeping us calm and composed. Josie was everywhere catching balls that seemed to be flying over her head and picking up interceptions out of nowhere. Jess shut down her opposition, applying pressure throughout court and forcing errors. Nicole’s work rate was phenomenal, applying pressure everywhere and picking off the rebounds. Our teammates Oluchi, Chantelle, Mia and Phoebe on the bench provided the encouragement we needed to close this game out. Final score Storm 50 – Grasshoppers 46.

As always thank you to Coach Nic for her inspirational team talks and it was lovely to have Coach Kelly join us with some words of wisdom. Happy birthday to team manager Nicola for yesterday – what more can you ask for than such an exciting win! Thank you to mummy Elisa and Jo on the table, we can’t do this without you. You can tell it’s been a tense game when the writing on the score sheet gets shaky! We’re all wishing Chantelle a speedy recovery after last week’s injury, but it was so nice to have you with us, supporting from the sideline. Oluchi never stopped cheering despite not getting on court, the ultimate team player – this is what Storm is all about.

Phoebe and Mia - I hope you enjoyed the experience, you both fit into the team so well. The Senior Regional League can be such a step up from U16s, and now you know what to expect, we can’t wait for the opportunity to get you on court this season. The future certainly is bright!

Player of the match was once again Josie for her relentless performance. Josie - your composure, decision making, and all-round skills are beyond your years, and you were a joy to play with. I know we’re all excited to see what you will accomplish in the future!

To the whole squad, it was so enjoyable to get to play with you again. You really are a special team! Still undefeated this season, go smash it next week!

Caitlin