This year, duplicating that will be a very difficult task.
The Tem-Cats, after their fourth-place finish in District 13-5A, will face 14-5A champion and No. 11-ranked Round Rock in a Class 5A bi-district match at 7 p.m. today.
The Tem-Cats (21-15) have suffered from bouts of sloppy play - bad serve-receives and passing errors, specifically. Correct that, and they can beat anybody according to setter Katy Houchin.
“At times, we are just basket cases,” said Houchin, who averages a team-high 8.3 assists per game. “We’re going to have to, whether it’s a down or up point, keep our heads and stay there.”
Even though Temple is fresh off a five-game loss to Bryan in its district finale, coach Susie Hughlett thought the Tem-Cats played their best match of the year in a number of areas while coming back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth game.
“This is the time it has to come together,” said Hughlett, whose team beat Georgetown in the bi-district round last year before losing to Magnolia. “Our kids know that. I told them on Tuesday night that I was extremely proud of the way they passed and how we had extremely good ball control. The kids know how to do it.
“We’re going to have to play lights-out volleyball. We’ve been talking about that all week. It’s going to come down, as it always does, to who makes fewer errors. Our blocking is going to have to pull through, our passing is going to have to be like it was against Bryan and we’re going to have to be consistent with everything.”
Being intimidated by the Lady Dragons (24-6) isn’t likely, either.
“We have to look at it as a challenge,” said Jordan Pickett, who leads Temple in blocks and is second in kills. “Playoffs are playoffs. You can’t go in scared and intimidated. You have to play your game and do your best.”
The Lady Dragons are led by power hitters Shelbi Chapman and Tommie Wesley, with Emily Danks and Brittani Slimp in the middle.
“Round Rock is a very good team,” Houchin said. “But they’re not unbeatable, if we bring our ‘A’ game and run our defense the way we’re supposed to. If everyone is helping each other out and doing their job, we should be able to handle it.”
Senior Trenette Smith leads Temple with 4.1 kills per game, with Pickett just behind at 4.0. They are the only Tem-Cats averaging more than a kill per game. Smith is second in digs and leads the team in aces. She said she doesn’t feel the errors that have plagued the Tem-Cats this year will resurface. And even if they did, the team can work through them.
“If we get together, come together in the middle and talk it through, I don’t think it will be that bad,” Smith said. “We should be more worried about winning the game than mental lapses.”
Hughlett said she has been stressing the importance of playing clean volleyball all season. She also said, given the Bryan match, the message has gotten through.
“Now’s the time. There’s no time to waste,” Hughlett said. “We don’t have any second chances. We’ve got to set our goals and rise to the occasion.”
Tonight’s winner will face the winner of the match between The Woodlands College Park and Klein Oak in the area round later this week.
ecarifio@temple-telegram.com
