From the moment you walked in to the stadium with the seats draped with posters of van Dyk, you sensed it would be a special night, even if the netball wasn't.
The lady of the hour took to the court to rapturous applause.
The rest of the team delayed their on-court run-on to salute the teammate they affectionately call "I's".
There were further tributes to come, with video footage of van Dyk throughout her career played on the big screen during the final break, while speeches and flowers came after the match.
Netball New Zealand also honoured Aitken, who will hand over to her as-yet-unannounced successor following the three-test series in Australia this month.
Van Dyk said she was delighted to share her big night with her long-time coach and mentor.
"I got really emotional as I walked out because every seat had a poster on it, so it was amazing and it's just lovely to share it with all the amazing girls around me," she said
"Ruth has been a stalwart for the last 10 years and her track record has been incredible."
With last night's match the final for the Ferns before they take on the world champion Australians this month, Aitken was looking for a much slicker performance than the disjointed effort in Monday night's opener.
But the second test was also marred by patches of frantic play and poor execution as the Ferns continued to develop new combinations.
It was always going to be hard to maintain consistency throughout the four quarters when a variety of different combinations were tried, giving 11 of the 12-strong squad a run.
Van Dyk said it wasn't the flawless performance her side had been aiming for, but she said the team and in particular the newcomers would only grow from the experience.
"It's been a good hit-out and a good chance to get the confidence of those young players up," she said.
"We definitely have to work on our links and make sure we score off our turnovers, because your ball is so precious when you play Australia."
The match got away to an ugly start, with only three goals scored in the first five minutes - all by the Silver Ferns.
Spurred on by some brilliant defence by Leana de Bruin and 19-year-old Kayla Cullen, playing in only her second test, the Ferns put the foot down later in the quarter.
But the English continued to struggle, amassing just five goals in the opening quarter to set the tone for the match.
While England fought back valiantly in the second half, the committed New Zealand defence ensured the visitors were never in a position to threaten the Ferns' lead.
