The game against KR was a rush of euphoria for players and supporters alike on the SRC court Monday evening. Not just because KR posed a formidable challenge, but because one could feel and see how much TH players wanted to get to the final.

You should have been there. Writing this, this author’s heart rate has accelerated a little just thinking of the incredible jumps and reaches the players did to get that ball. It was beauty in motion I tell you, not unlike ballet, with gracefulness and agility abound.

To start well, captain Hanisah put in the best combination we have. GS-Eliza, GA-Amelia, WA- Bridget, C-Hanisah, WD-LohWeilin, GD- Jiamein, GK- Melissa.

Remember the quotable quote of Shin in the previous article, where “it’s the sum of its parts that makes a team strong rather than zai individual players,”? TH netballers lived it that day. Goal defense was strong, a power combi of Mel and Jiamein. But to bring that ball down, Bridget, Hanisah, Weilin ran hard and leaped high to open spaces to make sure they caught that ball. Amelia and Eliza worked like automated clockwork, seamlessly complementing each other’s movements to put in those shots. Everyone played like they were a zai player, thus we were truly a super zai team that day.

Instead of going through a play-by-play, which would be poorly captured here on paper, this author will talk about the contributions of each player. Let’s start with captain Hanisah. A player that instinctively knows where the space is, she is always there as an option to pass to. A steady and reliable player, she jumps high and far to catch passes, and lands, sure-footed, ready to make that next pass. A leader, you could hear her shouts of instructions to her teammates, helping them defend their players better. A wise strategist, aided by experienced fellow netballers, many of her tactics worked to our advantage that day.

Another reliable player is Bridget. She is like a constant, always needed and always there. Don’t be fooled by her petite stature, it makes her all the more faster (you should see the power in her runs!). What’s more, she can catch balls at the elevation of twice her height. Really.

At Wing Defense we have LohWeilin. I would not be so lame as to say that she has “wings” that make her leaps so high, but she leaps like a jaguar to intercept passes with her longs limbs. (Ironically she worked for Volkswagen not Jaguar haha.) Many an opponent was fooled by her, thinking at three feet away she posed no threat. As a senior, one always sees the fire she has for TH. (Not just for the sports she plays, you know.) That day, though she was in much pain due to her injured knee, she pushed through it and played hard, which deserves respect from all around.

You don’t have to be a netballer to be in awe of Jiamein. As a Goal Defense, she really played hard to deny KR ball possession. By working hard I mean leaping to catch balls that come at her at the most awkward angles, yet landing steadily. She reads the play like a pro, coming out from nowhere to intercept many passes, much to the distress of KR.

Melissa Fu embodies the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” She can seem “nua”, but oh boy the times she denied KR shooters from receiving feeders with her long hands that shoot out to pluck balls out of their reach. As a Goal Attack, she played a smart tactical game that saw her hanging out of the goal D, deterring the formidable KR GD (a good IVP player) from entering the goal area.

Amelia and Eliza were an undefeatable duo. Both were confident in their shooting, attempting shots from mid-to-far(!) court and putting them in. Their defenders underestimated them by not even putting up their hands to defend the shot, which was their loss. Amelia is a sharp player whose passes leave her hands as soon as she receives it, confusing the poor defenders. Just as she is elusive to her defenders, she was able to guard the elusive KR GD well, as good as putting her out of play.

Eliza, whose limbs go on forever, uses it to her advantage to block for space, giving no chance for her defender to intercept any passes. She catches all the high lobs, and confidently puts in the shots. She was on a roll that day, causing the supporters to go into a frenzy.

Shin and Yuru were substitutions that day, and they did not disappoint. Shin, sturdy as a rock, blocked the shooter so well that she could not receive passes. Shin also fought hard for rebounds, giving TH more chances for score.

If you were a netballer, you would appreciate the way Yuru plays as a netballer. The way she leaps and gracefully lands with one foot down first then the other, almost like a ballerina-like. (Don’t laugh, you have to see it for yourself!) She knows where the spaces are, and feeds the shooters sure passes that will be converted to goals.

The score? 20-09. It will be good year for TH netballers.

Be there for the finals today to celebrate with us.

By Prisca