The 20-year old University of Otago student helped Southland win its first national title in 49 years last season but finds herself playing for Otago this year. It is not exactly by design.
She grew up in Gore and feels more comfortable in maroon than blue and gold.
Her older brother is Southland and former Highlanders winger Matt Saunders and the family are staunch Southlanders.
But she is registered with Dunedin's Southern club and Otago has exercised its right to hold on to the athletic midcourter.
"It is going to be a bit odd playing against Southland," Saunders said.
"I'm quite good friends with a lot of girls in the team but I think they understand that changes when we get on court.
"I'll probably be more competitive and really want to beat them.
"It's going to be weird and hopefully I don't pass the ball to them," she said, adding her old team-mates might even call for the pass.
Otago had a tough start to the national championships, losing to Auckland Waitakere 62-42.
It is not going to get any easier tomorrow, with Southland boasting an impressive squad featuring Steel players Erika Burgess, Sheryl Scanlan, Julianna Naoupu and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit.
There is some reprieve with midcourter Wendy Telfer called into the Silver Ferns squad.
But with players like former Australian international Natalie Avellino and experienced campaigners Dana Bond and Kylie Young also to choose from, the defending champion will go into the game and probably the tournament as favourite.
That was not quite the case last year.
"Getting to the final was pretty amazing any way because, I guess it is fair to say, we didn't go into the competition with such high expectations," Saunders said.
This season Otago is very much in the same boat.
While Auckland Waitakere and Southland shape as the sides to beat, there is little separating Canterbury, Western, North and Otago.
Otago has drawn the strongest two sides but Saunders does not believe it is necessarily a bad draw.
"It is quite a good start to have the two hardest teams first, actually. It will set the standard and if we win the next three after that we will be in the semis."
Otago coach Nicola Jones said her side had plenty of room for improvement after its first-round loss and acknowledged the huge hurdle the province would have to overcome to upset Southland.
Its experienced attack end of Jodi Brown and Jo Morrison did not fire and the defence end struggled to contain Cathrine Latu, who shot superbly, landing all 44 of her attempts.
Otago V Southland
Edgar Centre, tomorrow
Otago: Rihi Salter, Jo Morrison, Debbie Hill, Hayley Saunders, Louise Thayer, Kate Shearer, Greir Campbell, Jodi Brown, Sarah Lansdown, Emma Moynihan, Lizzie Sandom.
Southland: Erin Aston, Natalie Avellino, Dana Bond, Erika Burgess, Hayley Crofts, Kerry McKenzie, Julianna Naoupu, Sheryl Scanlan, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Ashleigh Smith, Kylie Young.
