The challenges keep getting thrown at the Sunbury Jets, and the Big V women’s division 1 team keeps responding.
Undefeated and on top of the ladder, the Jets are leagues ahead of rivals.
In the past two weeks alone, they’ve beaten the third and fourth-placed teams by a combined 74 points.
On Sunday, the Jets celebrated the return of head coach Kennedy Kereama from Europe where he’d been on duty for the New Zealand women’s national team.
With the Tall Ferns failing to qualify for the Olympics, Kereama will be back down under for the rest of the season.
Before Sunday’s match, assistant coach Lisa Townsend said the playing group had responded well despite the mid-season coaching changes.
“We have very similar coaching styles and we’ve had a process in place, regardless of who’s coach,” she said.
“The girls could coach themselves if something happened to us … it’ll be a male voice instead of a women’s voice.
“We always knew he would be back at this time.
“If he’d been going to Rio, he would have been back for one or two matches before heading back to New Zealand.”
It was a winning return for Kereama with the Jets comprehensively beating Western Port 89-41.
Defensively, the Jets were strong, with 19 steals and six blocked shots, compared to Western Port’s two steals and one block.
Five players reached double figures, Emma Mahady top-scoring with 18 points.
Among those reaching double figures was Jess Bygate, in her second game back after missing out on the New Zealand team for the Olympic trials.
Townsend said it was good to have her back in the team and fully fit.
“Jess was disappointed, as anyone would be not making the team.
“She’s been able to experience the national team set-up, and she’s blessed to have had that opportunity.”
The Jets will be without local young gun Naomi Stevens for the rest of the year. Stevens tore her ACL last month.
“It’s a big loss for both the women’s and youth girls’ squad,” Townsend said.
“It’s a shame as she’s been doing so well and going great guns.”
As for the rest of the season, Townsend says she’d love to see the Jets go through undefeated.
“I was talking to the players about having the opportunity to be part of something special and go through unbeaten.
“I was part of a winning team at Dandenong years ago and we won 56 games straight, including two premierships.
“Being part of a group that goes undefeated adds to the glory. I think this can be a special group.”
