As far as season-opening tournaments go, this weekend's Mizuno-Nittany Lion Invitational has it all -- six nationally-ranked teams, divided into two brackets for 13 matches in a two-day span.

The six teams will combine for two games at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. tomorrow in Rec Hall. On Saturday, the slate includes two games at 10 a.m., semifinal matches at 1 p.m., a consolation match at 4 p.m., and the championship match at 7:30 p.m. All games on Saturday are scheduled for the South Gym in Rec Hall.

Penn State's first game of the tournament is at 4 p.m. tomorrow, when the Lions square off against Ohio State. After a short rest, they face Ball State at 7 p.m.

"It has always been the strongest early tournament on the East Coast," Assistant Coach Mark Pavlik said. "It is a tournament when anything can happen. It should be pretty good."

Ranked seventh by a recent Volleyball Monthly preseason poll, the Nittany Lions are the highest-ranked team in the tournament. Along with Penn State, Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association members and nationally-ranked Ohio State and Ball State make up the first division. The second division consists of George Mason, Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne and Rutgers-Newark.

The Penn State-Ohio State game will be the 39th meeting between the two universities. The Lions, who defeated the Buckeyes twice last season (Jan. 26 at Ohio State and Feb. 23 at Buffalo), lead the series 27-11-1. Both of last year's matches lasted five games.

Ohio State, with two seniors in the middle and a three-year veteran setter, should be an improved team. At 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4 respectively, Brandt Kleinschmidt and Eliot Winer give the Buckeyes some height in the middle. If they stay healthy, Ohio State should be a strong contender in this weekend's tournament, and down the road, for the MIVA title.

Last year, Ball State season's was full of injuries. This year, Coach Don Shondell's team, returning only one starter from the 1992 season, is young and inexperienced. However, Ball State makes up for the lack of experience with athleticism. Last week, Ball State lost a close match to IPFW, the top-ranked team in the Midwest.

"We have not had the injuries that we had last year," Shondell said. "I think the field looks like the best and most well-balanced field that we have had at Penn State."

Despite losing both of its two hitters from last year's MIVA championship team, IPFW earned top ten national honors in a recent poll. The offense is run by 6-foot-9-inch sophomore setter Lloyd Ball, the coach's son and Asics Freshman of the Year in 1991. While the team is deep in every position except setter, a return trip to the Final Four depends heavily on the health of Ball. In last year's Final Four, IPFW defeated the Lions in four games (15-9, 6-15, 13-15, 3-15) to capture third place.

George Mason fields four veteran starters on its 1992 squad. Coach Ron Shayka beleives the addition of 6-foot-2-inch Olivier Barthelemey, who was recruited from France, will make an immediate impact. Last year, the Lions defeated Ball State in all four of their meetings.

In last year's tournament, Penn State defeated Ball State, then ranked ninth, in the championship game (12-15, 15-8, 15-6, 16-14). On their road to the championship match, Penn State beat George Mason, Rutgers-Newark and Ball State. George Mason graped third place honors by sweeping IPFW in three games.