MULIPOLA Dejah

General
RETURN TO ARIZONA IN 2021
She sat out [redshirted] the shortened 2019/20 collegiate softball season in order to train with the US team, but following the postponement of the Olympic Games she returned to play her fourth and final season of NCAA eligibility for the University of Arizona in 2020/21. In May 2021 she was announced as one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. "It's such a blessing that I not only get to return this upcoming year [2020/21] to play my last season with some of my best friends, but also that I get to train for the 2021 Olympics in addition to it all. The maturity aspect for sure is something that I am going to make a big part of my game after learning that from Team USA last year [2019/20]. Being able to relay that to the [University of Arizona] team this year [2020/21] and the knowledge that I was able to learn last spring is going to be one of the biggest things for me because not everyone is able to gain that kind of knowledge." (arizonawildcats.com, 23 Apr 2021; azdesertswarm.com, 07 May 2020; softballamerica.com, 17 Sep 2020)

LEARNING FROM THE BEST
In 2020 she said the experience of catching pitchers like Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott with the US team had taught her new skills that she had not yet picked up in collegiate softball. "I think with them [Osterman, Abbott] being so experienced in the game, I got better at pitch calling because of them. Knowing that they are two very different pitchers and they like two different things in certain situations, that was an eye-opener for me because growing up, I always had pitches relayed to me through a coach, so I had to learn how to call pitches on my own. For Team USA, the pitcher and catcher work together and they are the ones calling the game, so for me to be able to soak up as much knowledge as possible from them was a blessing." (softballamerica.com, 17 Sep 2020)

YOUTHFUL ENERGY AND MATURITY
US head coach Ken Eriksen said she brings humour and energy as one of the youngest members of the US team, but also maturity in calling the game. "First of all, I don't know if anybody realises how funny she is," Eriksen said. "For somebody that young, she's really mature. She's got a great sense of humour. She is energy every day to the ballpark. She calls a great game for a young kid that's never really called a game herself before." Veteran US pitcher Cat Osterman said Mulipola and her share a strong connection. "Over time she [Mulipola] has really developed a relationship to know what to say to me, which is not always easy when you're one of the youngest [players] and you are dealing with one of the oldest," Osterman said. "I don't think either of us have been very shy about the fact that we just have a very good connection, and we have since the first time she caught me in tryouts in January of 2019." (wildcat.arizona.edu, 19 Feb 2020; thisistucson.com, 19 Feb 2020)