Tonight is an absolutely huge match for us. We play Team Bath, in Bath, and it can’t be overstated how important these 60 minutes are for Sirens. Currently, we’re sitting in sixth position in the Vitality Superleague, six points behind Bath but we still have our sights firmly set on achieving a top-four finish so, with only three games of the season remaining, a win this evening is imperative if we’re going to achieve our goal. We have the belief that we can still make top-four but we’re not thinking too far ahead because there’s a danger that will overwhelm us so we’ll just be taking it match by match but we’re feeling very confident in our own ability.
It’s a high-pressure situation because we know how much is riding on tonight’s game and I have to admit that I can’t wait to get going. We beat Team Bath in a very tight match earlier in the season but tonight we’ll be on their home patch so we know how tough it’s going to be. It’s probably really stressful to watch but for us on court, we love those close matches because we all relish being in a real battle. And for me personally, these matches are what I play for – I’ve already learnt so much from being part of Sirens and from playing alongside the more experienced girls and it’s been such a privilege to be a part of such a fantastic squad.
On Monday, we had a good win against Severn Stars but it was a little scrappy so we’ve been tightening up on a few things this week in training. Our first quarter was very sloppy but now we have so much belief in ourselves that even if we’re a few points down, we don’t panic and that came through in our performance earlier in the week.
Monday was our penultimate home game and I feel like we’ve really made the Emirates Arena something of a fortress. We’ve been very strong at home throughout the season and I think the other teams are all quite scared about coming up to Glasgow now. The crowd is very close to the court at the Emirates and you can really feel the energy which is amazing. What’s been great about having such supportive crowds is that we know they’re right behind Sirens but they’re also right behind the sport and have a real desire to grow netball in this country. What’s been so fantastic about the home crowds is that so many people are coming to watch netball for the first time and almost without exception, they’re all really surprised by how fast and physical it is so it’s been great to see the sport now getting the recognition it deserves.
Emily Nicholl, 22, from Biggar has been a member of Sirens’ training squad for the entirety of the season but signed officially for the team last month.
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