Salter named a 13-strong squad yesterday which will contest the national championships during September and October.
The side features four newcomers to the team which finished third last year.
Promising shooter Greir Campbell and New Zealand under-21 players Sam Aranga-Durie, Jaimee Power and Jess Moulds get their first call-up.
There is also plenty of experience with the likes of former Silver Fern Debbie White and former Otago Rebel midcourter Phillipa Finch, who is back in Otago colours after a stint with the Canterbury Tactix during the ANZ Championship.
The pair have been named as co-captains.
Defender Katrina Grant is in a 16-strong Silver Ferns squad and will drop out of the Otago team if she is selected in the final 12, which is due to be named on August 22.
Otago has had its share of success in national tournaments this year, winning both the under-21 title and the Lois Muir Challenge.
That has raised expectation the province can claim its first national title since 1998.
Salter had a golden run with her Otago teams that year.
Between the Otago Rebels and the national championship team, her sides racked up 22 consecutive wins and scooped both the Coca-Cola Cup and the Caltex Cup.
"You have to always aim to win because of the culture of our province," Salter said.
"We'll try to honour that but it is a big step up [from under-21s and the Lois Muir Challenge]. But I think those are two important foundations."
Otago starts its campaign against Waikato in Dunedin on September 6 but could lose up to five players to the New Zealand under-21 team for the matches against Auckland and Southland on September 13 and 20 respectively.
To cover, Salter has named a large training squad which includes former Silver Fern shooter Angela Mitchell, Stephanie Brenssell, Megan Graamans, Emma Moynihan, Megan Parke and Black Fern Carla Hohepa.
The finals will be staged in Rotorua from October 1-4.
