Joyce Mvula makes her mark
Malawi Queens shooter Joyce Mvula has moved to second on United Kingdom (UK) Netball Vitality Superleague scorers’ chart following her prolific scoring form for her team Leeds Rhinos.
After eight rounds of matches, her tally to 318 baskets to dislodge Severn Stars’ Sigrid Burger, who is now third with two baskets less. Mary Cholhok of Loughborough Lightning leads the pack with 374 baskets.
Mvula’s outstanding performance on Saturday saw her notch 54 baskets at 96 percent accuracy to steer Leeds Rhinos to a 67-51 win over Team Bath.
The lofty shooter’s individual brilliance helped Rhinos to climb up to seventh on the 10-team log-table on better goal-difference.
They are tied at nine points with eighth-placed Surrey Storm after eight rounds while Mvula’s former club Manchester Thunder lead the log table with 21 points.
In an interview yesterday, Mvula said she was happy that her performance also pushed her team up the ladder.
“What is more important for me is to help my team fight for a better position in the league. We had a poor start to the league because most of us were new and had not yet gelled. But now I am glad that we have improved so much,” she said.
Despite losing, a match report on Team Bath website www.netball.teambath.com also applauded Mvula’s outstanding display as her team triumphed over them.
Reads the report in part: “Vastly-experienced shooter Joyce Mvula was in ruthless form as Rhinos punished some early errors from the hosts to race into a 10-3 lead inside five minutes.
“The gap remained at eight during a scrappy start to the second period before Rhinos once again seized control, supplying a constant stream of ball to Mvula, who shrugged off dogged defensive pressure to rattle off 11 of the next 13 goals.”
In a related development, Malawi Queens’ goalkeeper Towera Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda’s UK outfit Strathclyde Sirens registered its eighth defeat. According to www.netballsl.com, Vinkhumbo-Nyirenda did not feature in the game.
