Down 4-1 in the third set with the match on the line against Michigan, Penn State women's tennis player Janelle Perez took a stand.

The junior from Burlingame, Ca., reeled off five straight games to close out the match and seal the win for Penn State (12-5, 4-2).

"Mentally, I know when I'm down that I can still come back," Perez said.

Serving at 1-3 in the third set, Perez lost her cool. She hit a ball against the fence that landed near a window of Nittany Apartments. She was assessed a one point penalty and gave Wolverine Jen Vaughn the 4-1 lead.

"Definitely at that point I felt the momentum shift to Michigan," Coach Buffy Baker said.

Penn State, leading 3-2, found themselves on the short end of two matches. In addition to Perez, freshman Kristen Nowicki was a set in the hole.

The momentum shifted back to the Nittany Lions quickly when Perez broke her opponent's serve. Then, she held serve to even the third set at four games apiece.

"Basically I just grinded it out," said Perez. "I tried to play every point with intensity, I knew every point was important."

Playing with a sore back, Perez mixed in lobs with Vaughn and waited for mistakes.

"What won was pure determination," Baker said. "She was determined to win, instead of playing not to lose, she became obsessed with playing to win."

Keeping with the game plan Perez forced one last mistake. As Vaughn's final shot sailed long, the Lion's clinched the victory.

"I knew if we forced Michigan to play point after point they would break," said Baker. "They did."

Rebecca Ho and Pilar Montgomery set the tone early, winning their doubles match 8-0. They continued their outstanding play by posting straight set wins over their opponents, giving the Lions a 3-0 lead.

"Them winning was momentum for us," Baker said. "It sends a message to your teammate beside you."

The doubles team of Ho and Montgomery got hot at the right time. The duo of Leigh Ann Merryman and Teresa Whiteside lost its first conference match. The pair had been 5-0 in the Big Ten prior to the loss.

Nowicki finished off the Wolverines with a three-set win. The final score for the match was 5-2 in favor of the Lions.

"What won us that match was a relentless attitude, I think it came down to who wanted it more," said Baker. "When push came to shove and we made them play, we wore them down."

The win against Michigan closed out a weekend sweep for Penn State. On Saturday the Lions defeated Michigan State 7-0.

In the Michigan State match, Perez faced a 5-2 deficit in the first set. She responded by winning the next five games, before closing out the match 7-5, 6-4.