Severn Stars travel to Surrey Sports Park on Sunday, April 3 to take on Surrey Storm as they look to complete the double over their competitors in round 11 of the Vitality Super League. 

Stars come into the game after a two week break due to their match week 10 postponement through COVID 19 against Strathclyde Sirens and will be looking to kick on after hitting the halfway mark of the season. 

Their opponents, Storm, have hit the ground running and created a run of great form as of recent and come into the game off the back of three consecutive wins against Saracens Mavericks, Wasps, and Celtic Dragons. 

The Surrey based side have moved up into the top half of the table where they currently sit in fifth position, above last season’s finalists Team Bath. Stars look to add a further three points to their tally as they remain in 10th position. 

Mikki Austin’s side will be looking to seek revenge after suffering a week one defeat to Melissa Bessell’s Stars and will pose a greater threat this time round as her team begins to gain rhythm. 

In the return fixture, Stars earned a 56-47 win after a strong start to the season but since then, the victory over Storm remains their only win and three points so Bessell’s side will be looking to restart and kick on for the remaining half of the season. 

Last season, Stars completed a double victory over Storm after two closely fought battles which saw the side earn a 49-46 win in round five and secured a 46-39 victory in round 13. 

2019 saw Storm earn their first win against Stars in the league since 2017 after claiming a 55-46 victory at the University of Gloucestershire Arena in round six. Later that season, Stars put the game behind them and corrected their wrings after securing a 51-46 win. 

Stars once again claimed both wins in the 2018 season after back-to-back games in round 14. The first win of the weekend saw Stars secure a 55-43 win, followed by a 51-42 victory in the second game. 

Heading into the game, Storm may look to freshen things up after making no changes in their previous two games but could extend that to three games due to their great performances. 

Player-coach Austin continued in the centre role with captain Yasmin Parsons and Niamh Cooper alongside her in the wing attack and wing defence roles. 

The defensive partnership between Felisitus Kwangwa and Leah Middleton continued to shine against the Dragons so will be looking to stop the Stars attacking threat. 

At the attacking end of the court, Proscovia Peace continued to demonstrate her ability and professionalism in the VNSL after finding her rhythm alongside Frankie Wells. The duo has started the previous three games, netting 173 goals. 

Stars welcomed back Cat Tuivaiti in their previous match against current Champions Loughborough Lightning and it didn’t take long for the signature passes to be present in her play. 

Paige Reed partnered alongside Tuivaiti in the GA role with Isabelle Eaton and Katie Harris making cameos from the bench.  

In the mid court, Bethan Dyke continued in the centre role with captain Liana Leota and vice-captain Iman Thomas alongside her in the wing positions. 

Defensive duo Lucy Herdman and Summer Artman continued to partner each other at the back, producing great performances throughout the season. Dee Bolakoro and Nicole Humphrys entered the court and injected extra energy into the game.  

The first centre pass takes place at 16:00 on Sunday, April 3 with the game taking place at Surrey Sports Park and can be viewed on Sky Sports. 

Written by Grace Gunn