AS the VNL hits the one quarter mark of the season, there is still plenty of intrigue and excitement in it as much as there was day one.

The first match on the calendar tonight may be a one-sided affair though, with the Blaze taking on the Waves. The Blaze are sitting pretty comfortably in second place still undefeated, while the Waves have not looked like winning all season. The Blaze will be looking at this game to try and boost their percentage a little, which will be crucial as both teams either side of them have a better percentage than the Blaze do.

Someone else who will be looking to keep their undefeated record in tact tonight is the Boroondara Express when they take on the Western Warriors. With two shooting ends in exceptional touch, this should be a high scoring and very entertaining clash.

In a very different but just as important game, the Bendigo Strikers will be taking on the Casey Demons. Both sides currently only have one win on the board, and with the gap between them and the top sides slowly growing, they are going to need to bank every win they possibly can.

Two other sides that will really be looking to get their seasons moving tonight are the Hawks and Saints, who clash in the penultimate match up. Currently fifth and sixth respectively, the Hawks in particular have a perfect chance to establish a bit of a barrier on the rest of the competition and use their game in hand to their advantage, especially since the Saints do not have their bye for a few more weeks.

The final clash tonight should also be rather entertaining. The Falcons and Cougars have had a number of entertaining battles over the last few years, including in Grand Finals, and with percentage being all that separates them at the moment, it should make for a hard fought clash tonight.

This week’s side to take a rest is the Melbourne Uni Lightning, who could really do with a bit of a reset at the moment after an up and down start to the season.

VNL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 6 FIXTURE

North East Blaze vs Peninsula Waves

Boroondara Express vs Western Warriors

Bendigo Strikers vs Casey Demons

Hawks Netball vs Southern Saints

City West Falcons vs Geelong Cougars

Bye – Melbourne Uni Lightning