The women's tennis team can't wait until spring.

After completing a successful fall season over the weekend, the Lady Lions are ready to jump right into another Big Ten campaign.

"They've already started talking about where they're going to finish in the Big Ten," Coach Sue Whiteside said.

Five members of Whiteside's squad returned from Philadelphia on Monday, after competing in the Rolex Intercollegiate Tennis Championships. Olga Novikova advanced to the fourth round of the tournament before getting ousted by Syracuse's Jana Strnadova, 6-4, 7-5. The loss was the first time the freshman had dropped a set all season.

"That probably was one of the best matches all season," Whiteside said. "Both players were crushing the ball and making big time shots."

Senior Tammy Okins-Nguyen won her first two matches before bowing out in the third round to Alison Cohen from Virginia. Kristin Kovalik, the other Lady Lion senior in the tournament, was ousted in the first round by Carolyn Daley, 6-4, 6-4.

Tricia Lehman, the fourth-seeded Lady Lion, made it to the second round of the Indoor National Championship Qualifier by upsetting Meredith Jamieson of James Madison. The Lady Lion sophomore lost her next match to Ilona Poljakova of Virginia Commonwealth, 6-1, 6-3.

The two doubles teams Penn State sent to the tournament also shined. The team of Okins-Nguen and Novikova made it to the fourth round as well as the team of Andi Chiumento and Kovalik.

"It's the best we've ever done at the tournament," Chiumento said. "I think a lot of its mental. We all have a lot confidence this year."

Whiteside hopes that confidence carries over into the Big Ten when the season starts next semester.

"I think to finish sixth in the Big Ten is very feasible," she said. "That's a big step up. But, we are that solid and have that much depth. If we work hard it's highly obtainable."