Club Team Spotlight: NPJ Salem 17 National
In this article:
With a roster full of talent, the NPJ Salem 17 National team will be one to watch this season. They started off strong in the open division of the CEVA power league, going 4-0 and putting themselves in a solid…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith a roster full of talent, the NPJ Salem 17 National team will be one to watch this season. They started off strong in the open division of the CEVA power league, going 4-0 and putting themselves in a solid position for the season. About half of the team is made up of returners from the successful 2022 NPJ 16 National team, which bodes well for this year’s team and the ability for its athletes to work well together. The 17 National team will be coached by Becca Holtgeerts, who previously assistant coached at Pacific Lutheran University, University of Louisiana-Monroe, and Cal Poly, and who is the current assistant coach for Western Oregon University. The team will be assisted by Grace Rivers.
Arnett, a Mid-Willamette Conference First Team outside hitter who is ranked third overall in Oregon for the class of 2024, is a talented athlete with a fast arm swing and an impressive vertical. Arnett uses her quickness and athleticism to get to each set and put the ball away. Not only is Arnett an excellent attacker, but she is also steady and disciplined on defense and can put up a big block, making her a solid six-rotation player.
As one of the setters for the NPJ 17s team (alongside Amy Pappas), DeTrant is a fun player to watch. She is energetic, quick, and has strong hands that she uses to push the ball anywhere on the court with nearly perfect precision. DeTrant also has great court vision that she uses to effortlessly dump the ball and move her sets around to score. When needed, she can also hit well from the right side.
Friesen joins the NPJ 17’s team after having played for Athena last season, and with her she brings some impressive playing as a six-rotation outside hitter that earned her the honor of making the 2022 First Team for the Central Valley Conference. Although Friesen is a bit undersized as an attacker, she can jump high and hit the ball in the deep corners of the court. Friesen is steady on serve receive and defense, too, using her athleticism to pick up digs and her solid technique to pass tough serves.
Middle blocker Klobas made waves this high school season and was named the 2022 Cowapa League Player of the Year as a result. Klobas is a dynamic and determined athlete. Although she plays primarily out of the middle, using her tough swing and big block to score against opponents, Klobas is also a skilled passer and defensive player. She will undoubtedly be an asset for this 17 National team.
Libero Makua, who made the 2022 Girls Junior National Championship All-Tournament team because of her steady and strong play for her NPJ 16’s team, is an athlete to look out for this season. Makua is super consistent on serve receive, allowing her attacker-heavy team to run a quick offense. Defensively, Makua combines her quickness, athleticism, and ability to read the ball well to make instrumental plays for her team’s success. Her steadiness in the back row will be incredibly important for this team to do well.
After having a great high school season and making the 2022 First Team for the Oregon West Conference, Peterson will likely be a solid middle blocker option for this NPJ 17 National team. Peterson tracks the ball well and times her approach perfectly, which allows her to put the ball away consistently. She also has a wicked serve that she moves around the court effortlessly.