MATCH PREVIEW | Saracens Mavericks vs Cardiff Dragons (NSL Rd 16)

Wing Defence Aliyah Zaranyika is hoping that home comforts will serve her side well, as they return to Hertfordshire Sports Village tomorrow.

It's been nearly a month since Mavericks last played at home and, whilst their play-off hopes may have been extinguished, there is still plenty to play for in the league standings.

Zaranyika has been in impressive form of late and explained that she was thrilled to be back in front of the home crowd.

"I love playing at home. The crowd are fantastic and always cheer us on. They give us a big confidence boost whenever we step out onto the court. I’m so glad that we get to finish the season in front of our home fans. It’s been a long few weeks on the road with trips to places like Leeds and Manchester, so to be back at home in our own arena is amazing. Hopefully we can show the home fans the improvements we’ve been looking to make in the last few weeks."

Mavericks may be out of contention for the top four, but Zaranyika wants her side to kick on in the final matches of the season, admitting that there was a disappointment within the group at how things had gone in recent games.

"The last few games have been tough. We’re quite disappointed in the results and the performance we’ve shown in sections of the matches. Last weekend, we played well, but it was that third quarter that let us down. We’ve played some tough games and improved on certain scorelines. We’ve also shown we can implement our structures but it’s also about who we are when we do that."

The Wing Defence also made her 50th appearance for the club last Friday night and she beamed when explaining how special the milestone was to her.

"Getting my 50^th cap was unreal. When I was younger and I started at Mavs, I could only dream of playing for the NSL team. To now have 50 appearances for the team is just really incredible. I’m so grateful for all the opportunities and everyone who has believed in me."