Some call it the ability to raise your level of play. Others call it stepping up.

But whatever the name is, there is a downside to being able to rise up to your competition -- you may also drop down when playing weaker teams.

This season the women's volleyball team has had just that problem. Against No. 4 UCLA and No. 7 Nebraska, the Lady Lions played well, even in defeat. Against Southern Illinois and West Virginia, two teams not ranked in the top 25, the Lady Lions looked bad, even in victory.

"We showed a real downside when we played against West Virginia," Coach Russ Rose said.

The Lady Lions are hoping that the downside doesn't return this weekend during the Penn State Invitational that starts at 8 p.m. today in Rec Hall against St. Bonaventure.

The invitational continues tomorrow when the Lady Lions play two more matches. At 1 p.m. they meet Lehigh and wrap-up the invitaional at 8 p.m. against Connecticut. Both matches are in Rec Hall.

Outside hitter Laura Cook, who's coming off a great weekend at the Hawaii Classic, hopes the Lady Lions will continue to play well.

"We're going to have to do a better job of focusing than we did against West Virginia and Southern Illinois," Cook said. "Maybe we just have the idea we don't need to play as well because we know we can win."

This weekend will be the last chance the Lady Lions will have to tune up for their rugged Big Ten schedule.

But Cook feels that the Lady Lions should approach this weekend's matches the same as they would a Big Ten match.

"I don't think we should take this weekend any differently than we do against a Big Ten team," Cook said.

Notes:

-- Setter Salima Davidson was named Big Ten player-of-the-week after her MVP perfomance at the Hawaii Classic. Davidson is leading the conference in assists, is second in digs and 19th in hitting efficiency.

-- The Lady Lions are ranked No. 10 in the Volleyball Monthly Poll. They are joined by fellow Big Ten teams No. 11 Ohio State and No. 19 Illinois in the top 20.