BUCHANAN

WELCOME TO HSV FOR THIS AFTERNOON’S ENCOUNTER WITH ENGLAND THORNS. IT’S SET TO BE A THRILLING MATCH.

I was really pleased with the majority of our display last weekend against Celtic Dragons. It was a match that we targeted as a must -win and I was really pleased with how the squad applied themselves on court.

If you look at where we were as a side after the opening game against Severn Stars and compare it to the performance we put in last weekend, the improvement has been significant.

Despite the positives from last weekend, I still want to see the side develop the connections on court and really stick in the match for the full sixty minutes.

We’re improving game-by-game and we’re at a point in the season now where I believe that we can really start to kick on as a side.

I’m really excited for this afternoon’s fixture against the Thorns. This will be a tough test and a really great opportunity to further develop our connections and strategies on court.

Thorns vice-captain Tommy Wiseman is one of our training partners here at Mavericks, so I know that there will be some friendly rivalry throughout the day from both teams, as all players on court look to show what they are capable of.

Next Friday, we face our longest away day of the season, as we make the journey to Strathclyde. I have no doubt that the work we will be able to put in this afternoon will contribute hugely to our performance next Friday.

Enjoy the game