2025 Victorian Netball League live stream: Melbourne University Lightning v Boroondara Express, Round 15

Melbourne University and Boroondara Express have shared the spoils of their midweek clash. See who came out on top in the Championship and the 23 & U divisions in full REPLAYS.

Boroondara Express has a stranglehold on second place in the Victorian Netball League Championship after dispatching the struggling Melbourne University Lightning outfit.

Express’s third consecutive victory (64-48) took them to 13 wins for the season to guarantee them second place irrespective of other results this round.

Leading by just one goal after a competitive first quarter, Express lifted the tempo in the second to push the margin out to six at the half.

REPLAYS

Melbourne University Lightning v Boroondara Express (Championship)

Watch the replay in the window above.

Melbourne University Lightning v Boroondara Express (23 & U)

Lightning did their best to stay in the contest in the second half, but class was always going to determine the outcome.

Goal shooter Isabelle Hodgson finished with 36 goals, and enjoyed ample support from goal attack Zanna Woods (18) and Ruby Barkmeyer (10).

For the defeated, star goal shooter Catilin Hill found the net for 30 goals and Claudia Mawson finished with 11.

Melbourne University Lightning has delivered another polished performance in the 23 & U division to demolish Boroondara Express.

The win improves their impressive record to 13-2 and further underlines their strong presence in this year’s finals series.

With a three-pronged avenue to attack, the Lightning made easy work of their opponents, condemning them to a 70-45 defeat.

It was the second time the Express have been beaten by the Lightning, who accounted for them 56-43 back in round 1.

For the winners, Claire Oakley was in fine touch with 26 goals, while Annecy Lyon and Kate O’Dwyer each scored 21.

PREVIEW

Melbourne University 23 & U captain Montaya Sardi is confident a new-look Lightning can take the next step this season, following last year’s heartbreaking one-goal preliminary final defeat.

A strong regular season and double-chance finals berth in 2024 ended in a disappointing straight sets exit, and with a changing of the guard with several players stepping up to championship, the Lightning could have been forgiven for some sort of drop off.

But they’ve shown there has been little with a 12-2 start and top 6 finish already locked away ahead of Wednesday’s round 15 clash against Boroondara Express.

Both the 23 & U and Championship matches will be available live and exclusive on KommunityTV from 7pm.

Sardi was among those to return through 23 & Us after last year’s prelim loss, the 19-year-old fuelled by that result and confident this year’s squad could chase an elusive grand final berth.

“Losing that prelim was definitely something we didn’t want to happen, seeing as we had such a strong team, and we were like ‘we know we can do it’,” Sardi said.

‘We knew we could get a better result this year, because we’ve got such great depth in the club (to come up).

“We’re very versatile, we have a different starting seven each week and I think that’s good because we know anyone that comes on will do the job.”

New 23 & U coach Steph Norton – last year’s mentor Sarah Mylrea took the helm of championship – has given the group a new voice, albeit it’s not too dissimilar given Norton and Mylrea are sisters.

“They kind of have the same coaching ways,” Sardi said of Norton and Mylrea.

Sardi – a midcourt general – said she’d worked to instil the message to teammates that Lightning can’t take any teams lightly this season, with good starts their number one priority.

“I think reiterating that every week and having the same 3-5 focuses each week really helps us build on it,” she said.

Melbourne University 23 & U captain Montaya Sardi in action during the 2025 Victorian Netball League (VNL) season. Picture: Grant Treeby/Netball Victoria.

For the midcourt group, that’s included feeding from the circle edge and execution.

“Execution is definitely one of my focuses,” Sardi said.

“I tend to make some errors – but I know everyone makes errors.”

Sardi highlighted Millie Hogg’s strong season so far, the wing attack also stepping into the leadership group, as well as Tilly Shepherd in defence – the captain insistent Sheppard’s intercepts had saved them on several occasions.

Meanwhile, Dayna Williams has been a welcome inclusion when available, the defender moving between 23 & Us and championship this year, with Sardi predicting Williams would play a key role through their 23 & Us finals campaign.

“She brings that maturity within the club, some of our girls, we’re all really young, so having that older leadership in the group really helps and she’s amazing at what she does,” Sardi said.

Firmly focused on building for finals, the Lightning will eye a second win over eighth-placed Express this season, following a 56-43 win back in round 1.

But as Sardi said, the Lightning can’t take a determined Express – who need a win to keep their finals hopes flickering – or any team lightly in their run home.

“Coming finals time, we really need to have that good start, and each area has their focuses – I think we need to keep working on that and keep developing our game,” Sardi said.

Originally published as 2025 Victorian Netball League live stream: Melbourne University Lightning v Boroondara Express, Round 15