The men's tennis team gained confidence and started the season successfully when several Lions participated in the Big Ten Men's Singles Championship in Illinois last weekend.

While none of the Lions won the tournament, it was still seen as a positive experience for the team, freshman Colin Smeeton said.

"We opened a lot of eyes," he added. "We did a lot better than everyone thought we would and proved that we are going to be a force in the Big Ten."

Along with excellent shot selection, one of the positive things Coach Jan Bortner said he saw was how the Lions reacted to playing several matches in one day.

"Early in the year, we look at the players physically to see if they're moving well," he said. "This is the type of tournament that is a grind, and you have to rebound from earlier matches. From a physical standpoint, I thought we looked good."

However, there was a problem that plagued the team throughout the tournament. Several players got frustrated and let their emotions get in the way of their game, Bortner said.

"Some of the guys lost their poise in the tough situations," he added. "It's a long match, and your emotions can't be going up and down like a yo-yo."

Still, the Lions did well in a tournament that has troubled Penn State teams in the past.

"Some years, we haven't won too many matches," Bortner said. "But this particular year, we had a lot of wins, and some of them were really big matches for us."

Smeeton, who said he had a poor week of practice, won twice, advancing to the round of 16 where he lost to Minnesota's Stefan Tzvetkov.

No. 4 seed Ivan Spinner also made it to the third round before he lost to Jerry Turek of Illinois in a match that featured a second-set tie-breaker.

"When you get in a position to win a match, you have got to come up with the shots," Bortner said. "Ivan was in position to win the match. He just didn't play a crisp enough tie-breaker to close it out."

The team will attempt to carry this momentum with it throughout the rest of the season -- the players now know they can compete with the rest of the conference.

"It was a good start for us," Bortner said. "It gave them a boost of confidence and set a good tone for the rest of the season."