Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose knew the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament were not going to be as easy as they were in the past few years.

He was right.

Neither James Madison nor Washington State backed down from the Nittany Lions and proved to be difficult tests on the weekend. Although Penn State won both matches, the Dukes and the Cougars left with their heads held high.

"We came here earlier in the season and had a reality check," James Madison coach Disa Johnson-Garner said. "To be able to end with probably our best play this year is a real credit to (the players) because they have really done a great job. We're so proud of how far they've come."

The Dukes (21-10, 9-5 Colonial Athletic Association) were perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend. They were dominated by the Lions back in early September 15-1, 15-1, 15-0. This time around, they entered Rec Hall with a new attitude and almost shocked Penn State.

"We felt like we didn't have a lot to lose," Dukes senior Karla Gessler said. "We wanted to go out and kind of prove ourselves because we really didn't have a strong showing last time."

The new attitude was evident from the start, as James Madison led 12-10 and 10-9 in games one and two, respectively. But Penn State narrowly escaped both deficits, and eventually pulled out the 3-0 match victory (15-12, 15-11, 15-7).

"I thought it was a match where we were tight and they were loose," Rose said. "Last time, we were loose and relaxed, and played with smiles and a lot of energy. Tonight, the other team played with smiles and a lot of energy."

Although Rose knew his squad didn't play their best match, he said that wasn't the only factor in the close match.

"I think James Madison showed a great spirit and competed very hard," he said.

"Certainly, they improved a lot more since the last time we played them than we have. We didn't play our best, but I think they are to be commended for coming in here and playing as hard as they did."

The win meant Penn State would meet Washington State, who swept Tennessee Friday night, for a Saturday match.

The Lions played much better than the previous night and took control of games one and two early.

Penn State went on to win both of those and jumped out to a 2-0 advantage. Washington State never let up, though. The Cougars won game three and had a great opportunity to use that momentum to tie the match.

Three service errors early in game four by Washington State put an end to that possibility. The team fell behind 5-0 and the wheels just came off. Penn State went on to win 3-1 (15-6, 15-7, 9-15, 15-3).

"It was a match where we were going to have to play well," Rose said. "I thought the players executed the game plan very effectively. Other than the letdown in the third game, I thought we had great control."

With the win, Penn State (29-5, 16-4 Big Ten) will head to Southern California to play No. 2-seed Colorado State Thursday. Washington State (19-10, 9-9 Pac 10) coach Cindy Fredrick said there is a strong chance the Lions could enjoy some success while there if they play to their potential.

"I think it's going to depend on whether last night's Penn State team shows up or tonight's Penn State team shows up," Fredrick said. "Tonight's Penn State team is a good team. A very good team."