St. Therese of Lisieux College’s girls’ grade netball team has made impressive strides in the Crest Chicken Fiji Secondary Schools Netball competition, reaching the quarterfinals after a lengthy absence.
The team achieved this milestone by defeating Tailevu North College with a score of 14-11 in their final pool match held yesterday, despite facing formidable opponents from various experienced schools in Suva.
Coach Lia Rogoilagi Tokobalavu expressed pride in her team’s accomplishments, recognizing the challenges they had to overcome, including financial hurdles, to compete in Suva.
“The competition is good; we faced a lot of difficulties along the way, but we still made it here to compete,” stated Tokobalavu.
Hailing from Bemana in Navosa, the team struggles with limited opportunities for regular club matches, which are more accessible to urban schools. However, their strong commitment to training and love for netball has driven their success in the tournament.
Last year, the team encountered difficulties during the pool games but used those experiences to learn and improve.
Reaching the quarterfinals is a notable achievement for the school, and the backing from both parents and the institution has played a vital role in their journey.
In other results from yesterday’s pool matches at the National Netball Centre in Suva, U15 Suva Grammar School defeated Nukuloa College 14-7, Jasper Williams High School triumphed over Central College 17-13, and Niusawa claimed victory against Koro High with a score of 12-11. Other matches included Saint John College losing to Dudley High 8-11, Mahatma Gandhi winning against John Wesley 13-9, and Gau Secondary falling to Tavua College 3-15. In the U17 matches, Suva Grammar won 9-7 against Vunisea, Natabua College edged past ACS 12-10, and Tavua College lost to Bau Secondary 9-14. In the U19 category, Saint John lost to SVC 14-16, while Latter Day Saints beat Tailevu North College 15-10.