Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Lillli Takes On State Titles

After being selected in the Northern Mendi Rays U18 squad, local netballer Lilli Pryor travelled to Brisbane last weekend to compete in the Nissan State Titles.

Lilli was selected from approximately 30 players trialling in Townsville, participating in drills and gameplay, and was able to travel to Brisbane to participate thanks to sponsorship from Force Equipment and Inspire Accounting.

“It was a really validating experience,” Lilli said.

“Getting to represent north Queensland, getting to show off Mackay, that we do have stuff to offer down south.”

Coached by Kim Patterson and Bec Bulley, the team were only able to train twice before the tournament.

“They taught me so much,” said Lilli.

“They had a lot of knowledge to offer.

The Rays finish eighth and Lilli says the team remained extremely competitive throughout the tournament.

“It was hard for us to go down and compete with teams that had played together every week, but it was really cool that we could come together and still be a big competitor with teams that have so much experience with each other,” she said.

Earlier this year, Lilli joined Galaxy Netball Club in Mackay, playing under the guidance of local legend Jayden Taylor.

“It was an incredible experience, I’ve learnt so much this year,” she said.

“The whole season, my team’s been like a family and we’ve learnt so much from each other.”

Lilli hopes to pursue netball and plans to move down south to join the Ruby series next year.

In other news