"For any team to be successful, they have to play to their strengths," said Penn State women's volleyball head coach Russ Rose. "It's just a matter of how that plays out on the court and how you can use it to beat your opponent."

When the No. 11 Nittany Lions take the court at Jenison Field House in East Lansing at 7 tonight, they'll be facing one of the biggest teams in the Big Ten. Michigan State's usual lineup includes just one player under 6-foot-1.

Penn State then takes a road trip on Saturday to Ann Arbor where they will face Michigan at 7 in Cliff Keen Arena.

"We're not going to match up with Michigan State at the net," said Rose. "We'll win by playing good defense on our side, getting digs on tough balls and splitting the block."

The Lions (13-3, 6-2 Big Ten) will probably strive to replicate the match they played last Friday against No. 21 Minnesota. With impeccable ball control and a quick pass offense, the Lions manhandled the Gophers.

The Lions will probably rely on that type of play as its modus operandi for the rest of this year. Rose admits that when he envisioned this team earlier this summer, he saw a strong net presence. But with the loss of top blocker Robyn Guokas and inconsistency at the outside hitter position, the Lions had to modify their approach to the game. The emphasis on passing and patience has also been beneficial under the rally scoring format, because it limits high-risk hits. Under side out scoring, the Lions could risk big swings and trade the occasional miss for a few points, a luxury they no longer have because every error results in a point.

"In theory, this team needs to pass well to beat anyone," said Rose. "We're doing some things differently than I thought we'd do them, but I've been coaching for 22 years and I realize by now that things don't always work out the way you want them to."

"I just hope we can make that game against Minnesota the rule instead of the exception."

The Spartans (11-4, 4-4) have relied on senior outside hitter Erin Hartley, their lone pre-season Big Ten pick, for most of the offense. She is averaging 4.00 kills a game, but what is more impressive is her .342 hitting percentage while getting most of the attacks.

The Spartans will counter Penn State's attack by serving tough, to limit clean first touches by the Lions. Emily Engel will lead the charge with her conference best 0.82 aces per game.

Michigan (9-6, 5-3) enters the weekend fourth in the Big Ten, a game ahead of the Spartans and behind the Lions. Like the Lions, they are a solid passing team, paced by senior setter Shannon Melka, who is right ahead of Penn State's Jess Hayden (11.66) with 11.89 assists per game.

The toughest challenge for Penn State might not even be the two teams they will face on the floor. It's the location of the floor that might present the biggest obstacle, as the Lions are 1-3 on the road in the Big Ten. No conference team has won in the Great Lakes State yet, with the Spartans winning all nine home games and the Wolverines racking up seven wins in their friendly confines.

"It's usually the case that teams get their biggest crowds when they play us," said Rose. "It's always tough. There's not that support you have at home. Experienced players can usually step up in those situations, but younger players might not. You're never sure how your team will respond."

But junior outside hitter Mishka Levy likes the challenge of entering a hostile environment and what it can do for a team.

"Sometimes you're more focused," she said. "It's just your team against all of them. It brings you together. I love the challenge of going into their place and trying to beat them in front of their fans."