IPFW women’s volleyball coach Kelley Hartley Hutton doesn’t hesitate to admit there is a carry-over effect from last season’s NCAA tournament appearance.

While she insists that this year’s team will find its own niche – even if it’s taking a different approach to the game – the lessons learned from last season’s group that won the Summit League tournament championship remain in the current team’s psyche.

“They approach practice just a touch more businesslike, just a touch more, ‘OK, we get it now,’ ” Hartley Hutton said as her Mastodons prepare to open the season. “It’s like, ‘That was really cool winning the Summit League championship, advancing to the NCAA tournament,’ and they have a better understanding of what it takes. I think they want to start that process now rather than maybe later in the season.”

IPFW’s Gates Center will be the site of a two-day tournament that has the Mastodons playing host to St. Louis, Milwaukee and Tulsa. Two games will be played tonight, including IPFW’s 7 p.m. opener against Tulsa, and four matches will be Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. IPFW will play St. Louis at 1 p.m. and face Milwaukee at 7.

Second team All-Summit League hitter Maya Schlindwein returns as IPFW’s top offensive threat, since she was second on last season’s team in kills (320) and kills per set (2.67). But talent is abundant elsewhere. Seniors Taryn Parker and Stephanie Lamberti offer the most experience, while sophomore Megan Steenhuysen is back at setter, and classmate Tessa McGill is the team’s back line defensive specialist.

The biggest loss is outside hitter Bekah Roehm, who led the Mastodons with 1,429 attempts, including a Summit League-record 94 in IPFW’s five-set win over Oakland last year.

With Schlindwein, Parker and Lamberti, Hutton expects the offensive wealth to be distributed.

“I think this team can win and be successful in a different way,” Hartley Hutton said. “The results will be the same. I think this team has great potential and we certainly got a nod of confidence – at least what polls are worth – from the Summit League coaches in voting us second. We’re going to have to do it a different way.

“Last year’s style was last year’s team; this year’s team is going to have to be comfortable in its own skin and find different ways to win; possibly more patience; possibly because we won’t have to lean on any one person. We’re going to have to have everybody to contribute.”

With the prime objective to reclaim the Summit League tournament title.

“They only refer to last year of what were the lessons learned and how can we grow from that?” Hartley Hutton said.

stwarden@jg.net