From the style of play, to the attitude, right down to the noticeable lack of height, Hughlett’s Tem-Cats admittedly are in rebuilding mode.

But armed with a more serious approach to the game and a talented returning core - led by District 13-5A co-Offensive Most Valuable Player Jordan Pickett - Temple believes it can contend for its third straight playoff berth.

“They all know it’s a changeover year,” Hughlett said. “I think the whole serious mindset was put into place before we started. They bought into that and that’s just been the way it’s been.”

The Tem-Cats open their season at 7 p.m. today at Waco Midway, then host Liberty Hill at 4 p.m. and Waller at 6:30 on Tuesday at Wildcat Gym.

Last year, an athletic and considerably taller Tem-Cat squad used its height to overpower opponents en route to a 21-16 record before a loss to Round Rock in the Class 5A bi-district playoff round.

But with seven seniors having departed from that team, Hughlett’s only returning players with varsity experience are Pickett, who plays middle blocker and setter, and outside hitters Patti Kabobel and Shantae Hewins.

The Tem-Cats pull up three seniors from last season’s junior varsity - setter Ashley Schleiper and right-side hitters Kacie Easley and Erika Allen. Middle blocker Faith Thompson, setter Emily Vasek and defensive specialist Lauren Mann - all juniors - along with sophomore defensive specialist Kristen Gunn round out the roster.

Of those returners, along with the eight newcomers, the 6-1 Pickett is the only Tem-Cat on the roster listed at more than 6 feet tall.

Hughlett said the lack of height shouldn’t be a problem; it just places more of an emphasis on defense.

“We’ve got kids with heart and defense is 99 percent heart and hard work,” Hughlett said. “Our defense is going to be stellar in order for us to succeed.”

The biggest adjustment for the Tem-Cats’ three returners just might be adjusting to playing without the height that had dominated Temple’s lineup for the previous two seasons.

“Last year, we had such a tall team and we could jump so high that you expected them to block the ball,” Pickett said. “This year, our block is so short that you just have to read the hitter.”

The lack of height on offense makes things trickier.

Gone is the Tem-Cats’ power-first offense led by a tall frontline.

Instead, Temple will rely more on serving and passing.

“It’s going to be more of a finesse game this year and that’s OK with me,” Hughlett said. “It’s just a matter of getting that because last year was a power mindset because we had power up front.

“It’s going to be a whole different team.”

Pickett’s height makes her the focal point, but that also means she’ll draw the attention of the opposition every match.

“We’re going to mix her up on the front row . . . hopefully, it’ll be a big guessing game,” Hughlett said.

With the Tem-Cats having so much to learn, Hughlett knows her team will need to time to adjust before District 12-5A play.

That’s why the Tem-Cats’ non-district schedule is so important in helping her find the right mix on the court.

“I’ll be using a lot of lineups for the first two, three weeks of the season just to get a little camaraderie on the court,” she said. “The good thing about this group is that they have a ton of heart and they’re go-getters.”

With starting spots up for grabs, the players said they’ve noticed the increased intensity level at practice.

“A year ago, everyone had been on varsity for a year, so it was just a repeat,” Pickett said. “This year, everybody’s competing for a spot. Nobody’s got a set spot yet.”

Hughlett believes the Tem-Cats’ more intense practices spring from a talk she had with her team seven years before the season began.

“I told them, ‘It’s going to have to be different. You’re going to have to come in and go to work,’” she said. “I love to have fun, I love to laugh, I love to play. But there’s a time and place for that and it’s not now.”

Hughlett doesn’t mean that as a knock against last year’s team that admittedly loved to joke around at practice.

But with an inexperienced group that’s hungry to win, Hughlett believes the change in attitude will pay dividends.

“This group, they focus a lot more at practice,” she said. “They just get to work when they get in the gym. That’s going to work to our advantage.”

rschneider@temple-telegram.com