EVELYN Partners Jets make the long trip to the Midlands this weekend as they resume their Premier League 3 campaign away to league leaders Ryland Netball Club, in what promises to be a stern test first up after the Christmas break.
The contest tips off at 10am tomorrow morning, with both sides eager to set the tone for the second half of the season.
The two teams are already familiar foes this campaign, having met in the opening weeks of the season at Oakfield.
On that occasion, the Jets edged a thrilling encounter 46-43, holding their nerve in the closing stages to record a memorable home victory.
Serena Kersten’s side will be hoping to draw confidence from that performance as they attempt to repeat the feat on the road.
However, the challenge facing the Jets has grown significantly since that early-season meeting. Ryland have been in imperious form since their narrow defeat in Jersey, embarking on a remarkable unbeaten run that has propelled them to the summit of the Premier League 3 standings.
Kersten is under no illusions about the scale of the task awaiting her players, stating: “Ryland was a really tough game for us in the first half of the season, since then they’ve been on an incredible run, so it’ll be an interesting one for us.”
The Jets themselves enjoyed a strong first half of the campaign, establishing themselves firmly in the promotion picture.
They currently sit third in the table, just one place outside the automatic promotion spots, having recorded seven wins and a draw from their opening 11 fixtures.
Kersten believes that mental focus and composure will be essential if the Jets are to make a positive start to 2026, particularly against a side sitting top of the league. She added: “It’s a tough away game after the Christmas break, but we’re in a really confident position, we’ve got to be grounded when we’re coming up against the best in the league.”
The match also offers the Jets an immediate opportunity to respond following their last outing before Christmas, a home defeat to second-placed Exeter. While disappointing, that result underlined how fine the margins are at the top end of the table and reinforced the importance of every remaining fixture.
With eight games still to play, the Jets know that the run-in will be decisive as promotion remains firmly within reach.
Kersten highlighted just how closely contested the season has been so far, and the importance of maintaining standards as the pressure increases, explaining: “All of our games so far have been decided by a handful of goals, it’s really tight for us and every game is critical. With eight games left in the season, we’re wanting to put our best foot forward in this next round against Ryland.”
A positive result against the league leaders would not only close the gap at the top of the table but also send a clear message to the rest of the division that the Jets remain serious contenders in the promotion race.
