Queensland Firebirds captain Laura Geitz says her side have their sights set on a home conference final in the trans-Tasman netball competition following a comfortable 54-45 victory over Melbourne Vixens on Sunday.
The Firebirds toppled their 2014 grand final opponents for the second time this season to move to equal-first with Perth-based West Coast Fever.
A first-place finish will earn the Firebirds a week-one final on home territory.
With three rounds to play, only goal differential separates the Firebirds and Fever in the Australian conference.
"It's really important to give we give ourselves the best chance of playing a home final... last year we did a lot of travelling backwards and forwards," Geitz said.
"We want to obviously get big wins, help our percentage and claim that number one spot at the end of the rounds."
Now on a winning streak of seven matches, Queensland's form shows no signs of abating.
In front of a 4,444-strong crowd, they lead at all changes but it was a 17-goal third quarter that broke the back of the Vixens.
They opened up a 40-34 gap before running away with it in the final quarter.
"It was an ugly win, I don't think it was our best netball. Vixens put out different combinations and different styles of play and we couldn't find our rhythm," Geitz said.
The Firebirds' mid-court pairing of Caitlyn Nevins and Kimberley Ravillion caused turnovers early, while Gretel Tippett (16 goals from 25 attempts) compensated for a somewhat out-of-sorts start from star shooter Romelda Aiken (38 from 44).
Tippett found plenty of space at goal attack on her way to five goals for the opening quarter.
However, Aiken found her groove at the end of the second, landing a brace of goals and one on the siren for a 23-20 lead.
But it was the third quarter where the Firebirds opened up their biggest lead of the match to finish with a nine-goal win.
On the scoresheet for the Vixens were Karyn Bailey (24 from 30) and Tegan Philip (21 from 25).
In her comeback match from a wrist injury suffered in round two, Verity Simmons started on the bench but did not receive game time from Queensland coach Roselee Jencke.
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