Club Team Spotlight: NPJ 18 Forefront

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>NPJ 18 Forefront tends to bolster quite an impressive roster, and this season the roster has only gotten more impressive. While they have a decent amount of talent aging up from the NPJ 17 National team, they have secured some out-of-town talent that will make them all that more competitive. Securing nine pin hitters, granted some can play other positions on the court, this team will be tough to stop offensively. The four major out-of-town pickups are Alex Acevedo, coming from Nampa, Idaho, [player_tooltip player_id='97249' first='Kyleene' last='Filimaua'], hailing from Seattle, Washington, [player_tooltip player_id='143666' first='Bridget' last='Gould'], commuting from Marshfield, Oregon, and [player_tooltip player_id='126161' first='Chloe' last='Leluge'], driving from Bend, Oregon. This team will be led by the dynamic duo of Adam Ellis and Mike Gee, who have been heading the Forefront team for many seasons. They will also be bringing in student-athletes and former NPJ standouts Ellie Snook (Portland State) and Izzi Szulczewski (Oregon State) to help coach the team in some capacity.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will be highlighting some of the NPJ 18-1 Forefront athletes to watch this season below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["201009"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Acevedo has been on my radar since middle school when she committed to play for the University of Oregon as a 7th grader. Yes, you read that right. Acevedo committed to play PAC-12 volleyball at just twelve/thirteen years old. Clearly, head coach Matt Ulmer knew what he was doing as Acevedo has blossomed into one of the top athletes in the nation. Prior to reclassifying to the class of 2023, she was sitting at #9 in the nation for the class of 2024. This reclassification means she will be heading to the University of Oregon later this year, where she will join fellow CEVA athletes [player_tooltip player_id='91316' first='Isabel' last='Patterson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='91306' first='Sophie' last='Gregoire-Salagean']. Before moving to Idaho in 2021, Acevedo played for NPJ from 6th grade on. So, to see her back in an NPJ jersey for her senior season seems fitting. A true six-rotation outside hitter, it is safe to assume she will be a major component in this team's success.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818de65"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["91311"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Cheung was a major addition to the NPJ 17 National team last season and took the reins as their primary libero. With a limited number of defensive specialists on this team, Cheung will presumably be sporting the libero jersey again this season for NPJ Forefront. She is reliable in all aspects of her game and commands the back row. However, what sets her apart is her fearlessness and speed on defense. Cheung seems to know one speed and that is all gas, no breaks. Her incredible defensive saves to keep the ball alive is something to watch. Cheung is currently not committed to a school, so whichever program signs her is an incredibly lucky one!","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818ded5"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["91313"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Corpe has been a devoted NPJ athlete since 12U, working her way through their program and perfecting her craft. To see her make the NPJ Forefront team in her final season with the club speaks to the training she has received season after season. Playing with NPJ 17 National last season, she was the only setter on the roster, so she was never seen off the court. She successfully executed a 5-1 tournament after tournament for the team. Joining 2024 standout [player_tooltip player_id='126024' first='Alexis' last='Haury'] this season, she will most likely be tasked with running a 6-2 for Forefront. Recently, Corpe signed her letter of intent to play for Oregon State University.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818df2a"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["143666"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Gould is another one of the team's out-of-town pick-ups, coming from Marshfield, which is a 6-hour round trip commute to the NPJ practice facility and back. However, she is used to that sort of grind. Previously playing club for Webfoot in Eugene she had to make a similar commute. However, Gould's sacrifice to seek out the best training no matter the distance has paid off, as Gould recently committed to play for the University of Oregon. She has risen to the top of the 2024 class, currently sitting at #5 overall. A left-handed attacker, she thrives on the right side. She has an impressive vertical jump and a fast arm swing. Only a junior, Gould still has two club seasons to prepare for her PAC-12 debut.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818df7d"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["126024"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Haury is among the state and nation's best. As the #1 2024 recruit for the State, and the #4 recruit nationally, she is a next-level athlete and setter. Her hands are soft and quick, hiding her set location well, making her tough to read for opposing blockers. She does an incredible job of setting against the grain, and with strong hand strength she is able to push the ball to the pins, no matter the distance. She is a veteran NPJ athlete and has been on the NPJ Forefront team since she was a freshman. So, this level of play is nothing new for the 2024 University of Washington commit. Last season she either ran a 5-1 or split setting duties with VCU freshman Sydney Harrington. Having seen significant playing time last season, it is a fair summation that this season will be no different.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818dfd4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["244416"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Johnson is an athlete that burst onto the volleyball scene last club season as one of two sophomores to make the NPJ Forefront team. Over the summer, Johnson committed to play for Arizona State as an outside hitter. Interestingly enough, Johnson was the Forefront team's primary middle blocker. However, she spent high school season training as a pin hitter, rarely seen off the court, honing in on her back row play. It will be interesting to see where she is utilized this season; with so many dominant pin hitters on the roster, will she make her way onto the starting line up as such? Or will she be playing in the middle for a little bit longer?","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818e024"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["97249"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Prior to joining NPJ 18 Forefront for her senior season, Fillimaua previously played for the NPJ Seattle team. She was undoubtedly a major offensive and defensive threat for those teams, rarely seen off the court as a six-rotation outside hitter. An impressive beach player as well, she sees the court incredibly well and has some serious hops and hang time, a combination of natural athleticism and cross-training in the sand. Committed to play both sand and court at Florida State, Filimaua is a major west coast pick up for the Seminoles.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c07d818e072"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->