by Holly Slattery
It was a big weekend of netball for the Bull Sharks who prevailed 43-35 over QUT on Saturday before enduring a tight 35-37 loss to the Gold Coast Titans in an intense encounter on Sunday.
The clash of the varsity teams was a critical stride in the right direction for Bond University with the victory bumping them up two rungs on the Ruby Series ladder.
Goal shooter Lucy Garufi, who was awarded Player’s Player for scoring an impressive 26 goals, cemented her position on the Bond team after being elevated from training partner status to woman of the match.
The 18-year-old was proud of the fight the Bull Sharks put up against the older and more experienced QUT side.
“Going into the game we were a bit worried about the age difference with the other team but we really exhibited our grit and determination which was reflected in the final result of our eight-goal win,” Garufi said.
“In particular I felt that in the game we really showed our support for one another and that was able to get us the win which was really good.”
The Bull Sharks continued their campaign on Sunday against the Titans who were placed second on the ladder and eager to continue their march towards premiership contention.
The Gold Coast teams battled it out in what was Bond’s first home game at Carrara Stadium. Bond recovered from a rocky first quarter with the roar of a home crowd.
“We had a really slow start and a few silly mistakes in the beginning but once our team found our footing we displayed our competitive potential to come back from being 11 goals down at one stage,” Garufi said.
“It was a really intense game with a huge crowd, and it was good to have the support from everyone who came to watch.
“It was a huge weekend with the two games but I don’t think we were actually that rattled by it at all.
“We had quite a strong mindset going into the weekend which really pushed us to just focus on our games and not stop to struggle with the tiredness of playing the back-to-back games.”
The netballers now have a week to rest and recuperate with a bye in Round 10.