This year’s volleyball team has an attitude, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a reason for the team to have hope as it starts ACC play in a couple of weeks.

But for now, in the wake of a 3-1 weekend that helped it surpass its 2006 win total — two — the team is looking like anything but last year’s group.

Freshman Megan Rehmer embodies that attitude.

“Last year was the past, and I feel like this year, it’s all this year,” Rehmer said after Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Loyola College to cap the weekend. “We’re looking forward and not looking back.”

For one thing, there are the team’s 10 freshmen, who have helped foster this attitude of confidence. Then there’s sophomore Keri DeMar who is playing an important role for the team after seeing scant playing time a year ago.

These developments and a more calculated approach from second-year coach Charita Stubbs has the team primed for some vast improvement this season.

But the teams’ victories still came against South Carolina State University, Campbell University and Loyola College, with a loss to North Carolina Central University also a part of the weekend.

That shows there still is work to do, but this team has an edge about it that struck fear in Loyola’s players Saturday and could make ACC opponents take notice.

“I wouldn’t say we’re a mean team, but we’re competitive,” freshman captain Lindsay Benac said. “People know we’re competitive because of the way we carry ourselves.”

Once the team gets ahead, Rehmer said it just intensifies the confidence of the team.

“When we get a big lead, we’re very loud and intense, so the other team goes in a shell,” Rehmer said. “If we get a big run of points, I feel like we just keep going and make them keep up with us.”

But there’s still the issue of what happens when the team gets behind, as it did in losing the second game Saturday against Loyola College. It’s something Benac said the team is still working on.

“When we do get down, it takes us a little too long to get back up. We’re a little hard on ourselves,” Benac said. “We get frustrated with ourselves.”

For its first weekend, though, the team was a reflection of its coach — a picture of confidence and intensity mingled. It’s a step in the right direction for a team that too often doubted itself at important moments in matches last season.

Stubbs said she has tried to find “the players that have that tough edge, but not too rough,” and it seems to have worked.

DeMar, looking ahead to Friday’s match against No. 7 Florida, hinted the team is just getting started.

“It’ll be tough, but I’m excited. I like the challenge,” DeMar said. “They’re not expecting what we have to offer.”

There’s that attitude again — the attitude that could land the team its first multi-win ACC campaign since 1999.