ROUND 9 of the Vitality Netball Superleague is set to be an interesting one, with all five matches taking place between teams at opposite end of the ladder. Fans will be hoping for some blowouts as the Mavericks take on low seated Sirens, while Wasps Netball will host the Severn Stars. Meanwhile, the Pulse will hope for a drought-breaking win over the inconsistent Team Bath.

Strathclyde Sirens will host the Saracens Mavericks at a sold out Emirates Arena on Saturday afternoon at 2pm to open Round 9, in a match that will push the ninth placed Sirens. The Sirens have had a rough start to 2019, having only won two of eight matches thus far. Meanwhile, the Mavericks are sitting in second with a three-game winning streak, coming off a dominant 18-goal win against Severn Stars last week. The Sirens have only won against lower ladder opposition this season, so the side will certainly have their work cut out for them on Saturday. It is yet to be confirmed whether Sirens shooter, Cat Tuivaiti will take part in the match after missing Round 8, as a key player in terms of experience.

At 4pm on Saturday afternoon, the Celtic Dragons will host Loughborough Lightning at Sports Wales National Centre. The Lightning are another side coming off a string of successful matches, and have remained in the upper half of the ladder in recent weeks after a slow start to the season. The Dragons will come into this match with a burst of confidence as they come off a two-goal win against Surrey Storm in Round 8. The side will look to a dominant performance from defenders, Dee Bolakoro and Stacian Facey to spark the side into action, while Lightning will hope for a strong start.

Saturday’s schedule will wrap up at Belle Vue with Manchester Thunder taking on Surrey Storm at 5pm. Thunder have been very successful so far in 2019, but with a loss to Team Bath and a quick turnaround between Round 8 and Wednesday’s make-up match victory against Wasps Netball, and then to this matchup, this could be Storm’s opportunity to catch their opposition off guard and come down hard. Despite sitting in sixth on the ladder, the Storm have proven throughout the season so far that they can take control of games and maintain a lead when pushed. In comparison, Thunder have only dropped two games for the season, so it will still be a tough match for the Storm regardless of their strengths.

Sunday’s only match for the round will see Wasps Netball host Severn Stars at Ricoh Arena at 4pm. Another clash between high and low teams on the ladder, the Stars will be wary coming into this matchup. The Wasps are also coming off a quick turnaround after taking on Manchester Thunder on Wednesday, yet they have proven time and time again their strength in the competition, so will be tough to come up against regardless of their loss. The Stars are another side that have only won two games for the season, so will certainly need to lift this week and take advantage of their week between matchups. The Stars’ defence will have their work cut out for them against Wasps powerhouse goaler, Rachel Dunn.

To close out Round 9, London Pulse will take on Team Bath at Copperbox Arena at 7:30pm. Pulse have not had a win since Round 1, but with the consistency issues Bath has been having in recent weeks, this Pulse side may have an opportunity to knock over one of the top five sides. Despite their issues, however, Bath recorded a great four-goal win over Manchester Thunder in Round 8, proving the team’s strength if the whole side works together. Pulse also had a tight match last weekend, coming out with a five-point deficit after a strong match, so will hope to build on the confidence they gained against Loughborough Lightning last week when taking on Bath.