Netballers secured a unique league and Varsity double, salvaging a disappointing day for De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) sports clubs.
Wild celebrations greeted the full-time buzzer at the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre (QEII) as Netball 1st team netted a sensational 47-36 victory.
Seven Varsity points were up for grabs on Day 4, but the win was the only #TeamDMU success of the day following defeats on the court, in the pool and on the American Football field.
The final act of the day began with a jubilant atmosphere in the leisure centre, orchestrated by basketball winning coach Igor Mirkovic who was in fine voice.
The crowd spurred the league winners on, leading after the opening quarter in what was an end-to-end and very exciting game of netball.
The University of Leicester (UoL) took the lead in the second quarter before the girls powered ahead, leaving their city counterparts scrambling for points which never came.
In the final quarter, the team seemingly eased to the finish line, adding a final point with 10 seconds left on the clock, resulting in a premature flooding of netballers and supporters on to the court to congratulate the champions.
Team Captain Imogen Turner, a 2nd year Midwifery Pre-Registration Midwifery BSc (Hons) student said: “I am so overwhelmed that we’ve managed to secure an historic league and Varsity double today.
“The team have worked so hard for this moment, training week-in-week-out and attending strength and conditioning sessions which have made a real difference.
“We’ve had a positive attitude all season long, a great coach who encourages us and together we are a really good team and I think we proved that to everyone today.”
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Netball 2nd were mightily unlucky in their fixture, defeated in a fiercely competitive match decided by just 2 points.
Netball 3rd had a day to forget losing 45-13, restoring some pride with a late flurry of points greeted by rapturous applause from the crowd highlighting their dedication and willingness to battle for every point.
The 4th team kicked off the official Varsity point schedule, holding themselves in a very tight game before UoL kicked on in the third quarter, going on to win 37-29.
Meanwhile, in the pool the swimmers splashed their way ahead in a fiercely fought contest just next door to the QEII Sports Hall.
The balcony was flooded with #TeamDMU supporters urging on the team as they went for glory.
However, it wasn’t their day as a male and female defeat overall, left UoL 80-61 winners to claim two Varsity points.
Earlier in the day the American Footballers battled it out under greys skies at Stoughton Road, the venue for eight massive fixtures on Winning Wednesday.
The DMU Falcons fought tooth and nail to keep UoL at bay, but a single score was enough for UoL to secure a 6-0 Varsity win.
#TeamDMU led 10-3 going into Day 4, but as it came to close the lead had been reduced, ending 11-9.
You can keep up with events right across the Varsity series through our Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat accounts, and follow the story using #DareToWin and #TeamDMU on social media. There’s also a dedicated Varsity 2017 webpage.
Posted on Monday 20 March 2017