The men's volleyball team takes its current seven-match winning streak into Springfield, Mass., for this weekend's Hall of Fame Classic.

At 8 tonight, the No. 5 Lions (23-4, 7-0 EIVA) face host Springfield College. Springfield is one of the top two Division II schools in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association along with East Stroudsburg. Penn State swept East Stroudsburg last Tuesday night, 15-8, 15-11, 15-11.

"I'd be surprised if we lost," assistant coach Mark Pavlik said. "We have to play to our ability. We can't let what is going on on the other side of the net effect us."

The other semifinal pits No. 16 Rutgers-Newark (10-15) against No. 3 San Diego State (17-4).

"I would put my money on SDSU. They have a very fine team," Pavlik said.

Penn State has already swept Rutgers-Newark three times this season. In its only meeting against San Diego State on March 4, Penn State was handed one of its four losses. In that match, the Aztecs won in five, 15-5, 15-13, 9-15, 14-16, 15-11. Outside hitters Charlie Bertran and Jorge Perez led the team with 26 kills each.

The consolation and championship matches are scheduled for tomorrow night at 5:30 and 7:30, respectively.

A Penn State-San Diego State final is what the team has been preparing for.

"We haven't talked at all about Springfield," Perez said. "We've been preparing for SDSU in practice. We've been looking at video at some rotations and what they did against us in the last match."

In practice, non-starters have been role-playing San Diego State and running their plays so the team can re-familiarize itself with SDSU's offense, Perez said.

"The match will be a real good measuring stick for the past five weeks," Pavlik said. "The team on the other side of the net has the physical capability of doing things all-around with all six guys. They jump real high, hit real hard, and are solid blockers. We are going to have to earn everything we get."

The Aztecs are led by John Ross, who is third in the country in hitting percentage. Mike Matarocci and Mike Schlegel are 19th and 20th in the nation in kills per game with 4.8 and 4.57, respectively. Sean Clark is 12th in blocking with 1.63 blocks per game.

For Penn State to be successful, it must pass well and eliminate some of the errors that plagued it in Tuesday's match against East Stroudsburg. Intensity must also remain at a constantly high level.

"We have to stay intense from point one and maintain it the whole way through the match," Perez said.

Since the teams' last meeting, Pavlik said the Lions are better rested and better prepared to face the Aztecs. Penn State's blocking schemes have also become more polished.

After the tournament, the team will have nine days off to prepare for its regular-season finale April 16 in Rec Hall against Rutgers-Newark.