USC to host watch party to cheer on the Sunshine Coast Lightning

Netball fans from across the region are invited to attend a watch party at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s (USC) Moreton Bay campus this week to cheer on the girls from the Sunshine Coast Lightning.

With the new season underway, the university will be live streaming the round four match of the Suncorp Super Netball League competition on Wednesday when the Lightning take on the Collingwood Magpies.

One of the players taking to the court will be Mahalia Cassidy, who was born in Redcliffe and studied at USC.

This is her second season playing with the squad and has been described as a “tenacious and highly talented midcourter”.

“It’s really exciting to be playing another season,” Mahalia says.

“We have a fairly new team with some young players, so we have some new combos and different plays to learn.

“But it will be exciting to see what we can build to.”

The team are currently in Melbourne ahead of Wednesday’s match, but Mahalia says the team appreciates the support from the local region.

She is urging fans to head to USC to watch the game and cheer on the team.

“Please come on down and support us, as we really enjoy the community’s support. The more love and support we get, the better we play.”

First win of the season

This Wednesday’s match comes off the back of the team’s first win of the season on Sunday night, where the girls beat the Adelaide Thunderbirds in a thrilling nail-biter in round three.

When virtually nothing separated the two teams with five minutes to go, the contest was set to be decided by super shots

Lightning captain Steph Wood, back in the side after missing last week with COVID-19, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds' Tippah Dwan traded super shots to set up a thrilling climax.

Lightning coach Kylee Byrne then turned to 20-year-old rookie Reilley Batcheldor to make an impact off the bench, and she confidently sank a long-range goal with less than three minutes remaining to give her side what was ultimately the match-winning shot.

The win was an emotional one for player Lauran Scherian, as it was her 100^th national league game.

The win was made even more special for Laura when she was named player of the match after fighting off a cramp to finish with 31 feeds and a miserly three turnovers.

"It's really what we needed, everyone's been working so hard," Laura says.

The final score was 52-51.

Cheer them on

Fans of the Lightning can head to USC’s Moreton Bay Campus on Wednesday, April 13 to cheer on the girls.

The game will be live streamed on the campus’s 8m by 4.5m video screen

There’s room for hundreds of viewers on ‘The Rise’ – the auditorium in the central atrium of the foundation building – and spot prizes will be given away.

Food trucks will be on site from 5pm and the live stream of the netball fixture, plus other entertainment, will begin at 5.45pm.

To secure your tickets for the event, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/watch-party

USC’s support for the team

Sunshine Coast Lightning began as a joint venture between USC and NRL Club Melbourne Storm in 2016.

USC played a key role in the club's establishment and support continues with USC a Foundation Principal Partner.

Sunshine Coast Lightning plays home games and trains for competition at USC's world-class sports stadium in Sippy Downs.