When the Crimson Tide rolls into town tomorrow night at 8, the women's gymnastics team may be facing a tidal wave at Rec Hall.

While both teams are 4-0, Alabama's score was 190 in the first meet and Penn State's highest score was a 184.95.

"Alabama is sensational this year," Coach Judi Avener said. "First of all they are 1988 National Champions. That team was made up largely of the same personnel they have right now. They lost a couple of seniors in the last two years but the core of the team is intact."

Alabama, which came in third at NCAAs last year, has never lost to Penn State in nine tries.

Avener said the Lady Lions will focus on four points during the meet. First she wants the team to be aggressive and not intimidated. Next, they must focus on what they need to do. The third is to remember cues and the final point is to be spirited.

"I'm looking for the intensity of the fight and the aggressiveness of the actions that the kids take because intimidation or meekness in gymnastics is a killer," Avener said.

"Alabama would have to have a bad meet and we would have to have a great meet," Avener said. "The type of athletes they have on their team very rarely have a bad meet. A bad meet to them means they shake a little bit on the balance beam, but they don't fall twice."

"When you try to beat the other team, that's when you have mental breakdowns," Janice Rogers said. "They are a strong team so we're anticipating a strong team and we're ready for everything that they are going to throw at us."

But Avener added that she believes her team has a chance to win.

"I think if we put our minds to it we could hit and do well," freshman Tracy Salvino said. "We're going to be at home, plus all of our fans will be there. There is no reason to feel intimidated."

The meet may be a test for Alabama. In its first meet at home, the Crimson Tide scored a 190 but they scored a 188.40 on the road last week.

"Our opening meet we were very clean and had no breaks, but we must compete better on the road," Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said.

Although Avener is unsure of the lineup, Lynn Crane and Kim Thrasher will compete in the all-around. Allison Barber and Salvino (who placed fourth in the all-around last week) are also prospective all-arounders. Lisa Mallios, who holds the school vault record (9.7) along with Thrasher and Barber, will probably compete in everything except the beam. The team has no injured gymnasts now that Jada Hiltabrand has recovered from elbow surgery.

Alabama lost only one senior but gained two freshmen this year, Dana Dobransky and Dee Dee Foster. Dobransky was ranked 16th in the all- around and fourth on the balance beam when she was on the national team in 1988. Foster has been on the national team since 1984 and qualified for the Olympic Trials. She won the all-around in Alabama's last two meets, scoring 38.00 in last week's meet against Wisconsin and Minnesota.

After missing last year's NCAAs because of an ankle injury, Marie Robbins is back. Last season she broke a school record on the uneven bars (9.90) and had a high score of 39.10 in the all-around.

Senior All-American Cheri Way has also returned, along with Gina Basile who holds the school record on the balance beam and tied the Central Regional record with Way on the uneven bars with a 9.80.