Like David versus Goliath, Penn State (3-11) met a powerhouse West Virginia team. Only this time Goliath didn't lose.

In an Atlantic 10 conference match, Penn State lost 7-2 to a West Virginia squad that has won the last three Atlantic 10 Championships. The Mountaineers simply had too much firepower, winning four out of six singles matches and taking all three doubles matches.

On the positive side for Penn State, Dave Schonely won, 6-4, 7-6 and Tim Everett also came out on top, 6-2, 6-3. Everett's win was especially surprising after being moved from a reserve role to the No. 6 position.

"This win was really good experience," Schonely said. "My serve and return of service went well today."

Coach Holmes Cathrall was happy to see Everett win after being raised to No. 6. "Everett worked hard," Cathrall said. "He gave me all he had. I told him to just play hard. I hope this gives him some confidence."

Cathrall said he thinks a change of attitude helped key today's wins by Schonely and Everett.

"A kid's attitude means a lot. I told them I just wanted them to concentrate on what was happening on the court," Cathrall said.

The Lions are hoping that this showing against West Virginia, the top-ranked team in the A-10, will help propel them into their next match.

"The team on a whole was very positive, this is probably the most positive loss we've had," No. 4 singles player Corey Goldstein said.

Even though the Lions lost the match, Cathrall was very pleased with his team's performance.

"I think the kids played well," he said. "They (the players) have nothing to be ashamed of, they played against a nationally-ranked team."

The past couple of days have been tough for both the team and the coach. No. 3 Mark Cavalier quit the team and No. 4 Mark Price was cut from the squad for an unspecified reason, all of which has forced Cathrall to completely change his line-up. Even with the different line-up Cathrall thought the team could still play well, as long as it focused on the task of playing good tennis.

"I just wanted them them to concentrate on playing tennis out on the court, not to worry about what has been said about me," Cathrall said. "The kids played well."

Penn State's next match is home, at 1 p.m. on April 10, against Bloomsburg. Being at home is a definite advantage for the road-weary Lions. "It's a definite advantage for us," Goldstein said. "It's really nice to see people on your side. Being at home helps keep us in a positive frame of mind."