Netball Superleague: Loughborough Lightning announce long squad for 2015
Monday 10 November 2014 16:59, UK
Netball Superleague side Loughborough Lightning have announced their long squad for 2015.
Lightning have confirmed the return of stalwart Lauren Steadman and Loughborough University students Lauren Massey, Fran Desmond, Hannah Joseph, Olivia Mason and Flo Edwards.
New students to the university, Caroline Tarnowski and Charlotte Collins (both former England U19 and West Midlands Warriors players) as well as Niamh Cooper (Northern Ireland International) have also made the squad.
Atkinson has also added some players with Superleague and international experience in the form of mid-courter Rachel Henry and defender Rachel Forbes. Henry has been an integral part of the successful Manchester Thunder squad over recent years, whilst Australian-born Forbes currently plays for Scotland and competed in the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
A strong West Midlands contingent also forms part of the squad with former Lightning player Jordan Moxey coming back this season. She is joined by Sophie Masterson, a former Team Bath defender who is also based in Birmingham, and former West Midlands Warriors NPL player Ami Pickerill.
Youth is also a real feature of the squad with some of the Loughborough Lightning NPL players making the step up in the form of Maddie Turner, Rebecca Tildsley and Brittany Coleman. Talented young defenders Rebekah Airey and Claudia Payne, as well as former Lightning shooter Beth Payne, also make the commute from the North West to gain some invaluable NSL experience alongside their NPL success with Manchester Thunder.
Former Jamaican International Vanessa Walker is back for her second season with Lightning having competed in the NSL in 2013. Vanessa brings a wealth of international experience as well as some Caribbean flair to the shooting circle.
Atkinson spoke with enthusiasm on the announcement of the squad, saying: "The initial aim is to get Loughborough Lightning back to being a competitive team at Superleague level.
"To do this we need more experienced campaigners, whilst at the same time trying to develop that next layer of younger NSL, NPL talent.
"This squad reflects our aims and ambitions for the franchise and I am excited about what both this season and the future holds for this franchise and these players."
Atkinson also revealed there will be additional imports added to the player roster. Loughborough Lightning will make their import announcements within the next couple of weeks.
Loughborough Lightning NSL 2015 Long Squad (reduced to 15 at the end of November):
Rebekah Airey, Brittany Coleman, Charlotte Collins, Niamh Cooper, Fran Desmond, Flo Edwards, Rachel Forbes, Rachel Henry, Hannah Joseph, Olivia Mason, Lauren Massey, Sophie Masterson, Jordan Moxey, Beth Payne, Claudia Payne, Ami Pickerill, Caroline Tarnowski, Rebecca Tildsley, Maddie Turner, Lauren Steadman, Vanessa Walker.
