Dunedin captain Hapai Selby-Law will not settle for anything less than a top-eight finish in Wellington next week.
The 22-year-old physical education student will lead the team at the national championships in her first year in the team.
While she is in her fourth and final year in Dunedin, she put study ahead of netball the past few years.
The midcourter helped Southern win a second consecutive Dunedin premier club title last month, before deciding she wanted to play representative netball again.
Dunedin is in pool B with North Harbour, Hutt Valley, Wanganui and Hawkes Bay in the 17-team tournament.
The top two teams in each of the four pools advance to Wednesday's quarterfinals, a realistic goal, Selby-Law said.
''I want to go top eight. I think we're looking pretty good, considering we're a pretty unknown team with no big names.''
While newly-signed Southern Steel netballers Jamie Hume and Abby Erwood are available, Dunedin does not have any experienced franchise players this year.
That is a change from recent years, including the Dunedin (formerly Otago) 2012 and 2013 championship-winning teams.
However, that does not faze Selby-Law, who is a cousin of Steel shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit.
''North Harbour have some very good names, but the other teams are exactly like us. So it's going to be going out there and giving it all and hopefully coming out on top.''
Selby-Law will play either centre or wing defence next week. Vice-captain Sophie Napper is also able to play both positions.
Napper is one of four players from the team that finished seventh in Auckland a year ago, and debuted in 2013 when Dunedin defended its title at home.
The 21-year-old Balmacewen Intermediate teacher, who was born and bred in Dunedin, is excited about the youthful team's prospects.
With an average age of about 19, there is no doubt it is one of the youngest teams in the competition.
''It's really good for development this year,'' Napper said.
''Bringing in those younger girls who probably wouldn't have had an opportunity to play in recent years. It's awesome, really.''
Dunedin welcomes back coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz, who guided the team to the 2012 title, after she took a break to spend time with her young family three years ago.
This could be the last time the week-long tournament is held, as Netball New Zealand is interested in launching a national league next year.
National championships
Dunedin team
Hapai Selby-Law (captain), Sophie Napper (vice-captain), Tessa Bekkers, Abby Erwood, Sophie Erwood, Danielle Gray, Lucy Heenan, Rachel Horrocks, Jamie Hume, Jen O'Connell, Bridget Thayer
Coach: Deb Tasi-Cordtz
Assistant coach: Nicki Paterson
Dunedin's games
Monday: v Wanganui, 10.30am; v Hawke's Bay, 8pm
Tuesday: v Hutt Valley, 2.30pm; v North Harbour, 8pm
Wednesday-Friday: Playoffs
Pool opponents
North Harbour
Coach: Yvonne Willering
Key players: Phoenix Karaka, Malia Paseka, Temalisi Fakahokotau
Wanganui
Coach: Lisa Murphy
Key players: Kelera Kuruyabaki, Suzanne Guilford, Eleanor Hogan
Hawke's Bay
Coach: Charissa Barham
Key players: Katarina Cooper, Briar Chalmers, Nichola Heremaia
Hutt Valley
Coach: Lyn Imrie
Key players: Alicia Clegg, Lichelle de Boer, Kathleen Beckett
Best of the rest
Christchurch
The oil: The defending champion does not have as many franchise players as last year (nine), but still boasts a good enough team to defend its title. Christchurch beat Dunedin 48-38 in a warm-up match in Temuka earlier in the month.
Key players: Jane Watson, Sophia Fenwick, Anna Thompson
Wellington
The oil: Last year's fourth-placed team has received a boost with former Silver Ferns great Irene van Dyk's availability. Wellington knocked Dunedin out of last year's competition in the quarterfinals.
Key players: Ameliaranne Wells, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Elias Shadrock
Waitakere
The oil: Finished sixth a year ago but has been boosted by the availability of New Zealand's most accurate shooter, Cathrine Latu.
Key players: Grace Rasmussen, Brooke Leaver, Cathrine Latu
