Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

GUY - File

JAMAICA'S UNDER-21 netballers and the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) Under-21 team will square off in game one of their three-match series today at the G.C. Foster College in St Catherine, starting at 6 p.m.

The Jamaicans will enter the match without ace national shooter Romelda Aiken, who is in Australia representing the Queensland Firebirds in the professional league featuring teams from that country and New Zealand.

Despite Aiken's absence, Janet Guy, coach of the Jamaica team, said she is confident the side will do well.

"We have a lot of experienced players in this team because most of them have been with the Under-16 team and they know what it is feels like to be victorious," Guy said.

"It is going to be a tough series but I know that we are going to compete hard against them because we have the depth in this team to challenge them," she said.

Guy said she had seen the Aussies play in their two warm-up matches here and said they were very fast.

"We are ready for this series because the girls have been practising hard during training and we are just hoping that they can go out and execute all that we have taught them in these sessions," Guy said.

Senior team

National senior team goal shooter Christina Solmon is expected to lead the young Sunshine Girlz' charge along with the likes of overseas-based Afrika Morris, former national Under-16 representatives Vanessa Walker and Sasha Gaye Lynch.

Meanwhile, the Australians have recorded two easy victories on tour so far. They first defeated a Jamaica select squad 52-30 on Saturday and whipped Berger Paints champions Jamalco 60-47 in their second match on Monday.

"Our shooters have been playing extremely well and I am hoping that they continue to do well for us in this series," said Simone McKinnis, coach of Australia.

"We know very little about them (Jamaica). However, we do know that they have a lot of talent in their squad and they are determined to do well against us," she said.

McKinnis also said her side had benefitted from the warm-up matches and was hoping to carry the momentum into the series against the hosts.

"In the last game that we played against Jamalco, we made a lot of interceptions but we didn't score off them and this is one of the things that we are hoping to improve on in this series," she said.

The Australian attack is expected to be led by goal shooter Jasmine Keene, goal attack Kim Borger and wing attack Laura Scherian.