TWO sides looking to reaffirm their spots in the top four of the Victorian Netball League (VNL) Championship Division will clash in Round 4 kicking off tonight. Third placed Melbourne University Lightning are coming off their first loss of the season last week, whilst their Round 4 opponents Peninsula Waves bounced back from a Round 2 defeat to move to 2-1 for the season in Round 3.

Focusing on tonight’s clash, the third placed Lightning have a percentage of 113, having only lost to Southern Saints by six goals in Round 3. The Saints are the only undefeated side without three wins. Whilst Geelong Cougars rightfully sit on top of the table having smashed everyone on their way to three straight victories, the Saints drew with the Ariels in Round 1 before picking up wins over the Waves and Lightning.

Those two sides now clash, with the Waves defeating Casey Demons in Round 1 and Ariels in Round 3, but both have struggled this season with only one win and one draw from six games combined. For the Lightning, they strung victories over Hawks Netball and Boroondara Express in the opening two rounds before their loss to the Saints in Round 3, though like the Waves, their opponents are both in the bottom four with a combined one win from six games.

This Round 4 encounter will be a great test for both the Lightning and Waves to really break the deadlock and examine exactly where they sit in the pecking order. Peninsula Waves have some exciting young talent such as Sussu Liai who is a member of the Victorian Under 19s State squad and is an athletic type with high upside, whilst Eryn Stocker is another player who could rise up and play a role having been named in the Waves’ 19 and Under Squad.

Melbourne University Lightning have a couple of Victorian Under 19s representatives in their 19 and Under squad, with Charlee Kemp and Grace Markovic both ones to watch for the future. The Lightning’s top-end talent is stronger though, with the likes of Maggie Caris, Jordan Cransberg and Gabrielle Coffey all training partners or thereabouts. They will look to contain the likes of Clare Vearing who is a danger for the Waves heading into the clash.

In other Round 4 fixtures tonight, a potential blowout takes place with ladder leaders Geelong Cougars taking on cellar dwellers Boroondara Express. Second placed Southern Satins lock horns with Casey Demons, whilst North East Blaze will look to bounce back from their Cougars’ defeat in Round 3 when they face the winless Ariels tonight. The other game is Hawks Netball up against City West Falcons with the Battle of the Birds to result in one side able to edge ahead of the other with a second win on offer for the victor.

ROUND 4 FIXTURES: April 6

Casey Demons vs. Southern Saints
North East Blaze vs. Ariels
Hawks Netball vs. City West Falcons
Peninsula Waves vs. Melbourne University Lightning
Boroondara Express vs. Geelong Cougars