Vitality Superleague week nine preview
Week Nine continues with repeat of last year's Grand Final - Manchester Thunder v Surrey Storm
Saturday 15 April 2017 12:09, UK
The storylines are in plentiful supply as Week Nine of the Vitality Superleague continues with a repeat of last year's Grand Final, the only remaining 100 per cent record on the line and an unexpected return to the court for a familiar face.
Sky Sports kicked off the live action on Monday night when Celtic Dragons ended a run of eight successive defeats to start the season with a victory over a Sirens team who had won their previous two games.
And the drama is likely to continue over the weekend with the remaining four matches of the round set to take place on Friday and Saturday before all 10 teams play on Bank Holiday with a quickfire turnaround for week 10.
However, it's Friday and Saturday where the focus begins, with the highlight being Saturday evening's showdown between the red-hot Manchester Thunder and Surrey Storm - the two teams who contested last season's Grand Final.
Other than the league leading Loughborough Lightning no-one is hotter than Karen Greig's youthful Thunder who have charged into the top four on the back of six straight wins.
After an off-season that saw Sara Bayman, Natalie Haythornthwaite and Helen Housby among the big names to depart, an understandably slow start turned in week three with a win over Sirens and they have not looked back.
In contrast, defending champions Storm have lost their last two games having started the season with six victories that had them keeping pace with Lightning.
But having lost to Wasps in week seven, defeat in Glasgow to Sirens followed and Tania Hoffman's team will have it all to do as a win for Thunder will take them above their rivals and potentially into second pace.
Wasps are also chasing second place, they host Team Northumbria on Friday at the Ricoh Arena and director of netball Tamsin Greenway will be part of the matchday squad once again.
The former England international made a surprise appearance from the bench as Wasps beat Dragons last week and with injuries still hampering the squad Greenway will continue her return to action.
Sophia Candappa is out for the season and fellow mid-courter Amy Flanagan has joined her on the sidelines giving Greenway little option but to come out of retirement.
On Saturday Loughborough will look to maintain their 100% record when they travel to Severn Stars looking to make it nine wins from nine before they host Team Bath on Sky Sports Mix on Monday afternoon.
It is Bath who begin the Easter weekend action when they host Hertfordshire Mavericks on Friday on the back of their first back-to-back defeats of the season against Sirens and Thunder.
Mavericks picked up a third win of the season beating Stars last time out and will be out for revenge after Bath won the first meeting this season with a 49-42 success in Birmingham on Super Ten weekend.
Week 10 gets underway on Monday with all 10 teams in action and you can follow the latest Vitality Superleague live action when Loughborough Lightning host Team Bath from 3.45pm on Sky Sports Mix
