Losing two of three matches at the Outrigger Invitational is not what the Penn State men's volleyball team expected.

And after struggling at the Outrigger, there's a great desire to get back to the level that the Lions feel they are capable of playing at.

St. Francis is the team that the Nittany Lions look to do that against when the teams face off tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall.

"We played hesitant," junior outside hitter Kevin Hodge said. "With the No. 1 ranking we were playing not to lose and not to win."

Senior setter Jose Quinones thinks the team needs to come out strong against St. Francis.

"We always have something to prove to ourselves," Quinones said.

"We know we're a good team, no one doubts that. We recognize when we're playing at our highest level and when we're not."

The Lions, a team expected to reach the final four in May, come into the match with a 2-2 record, while St. Francis comes into the match with a 3-1 mark.

St. Francis' lone loss was at the hands of Ohio State, a team that Penn State defeated to open the season. St. Francis will be the Lions' first EIVA conference match of the year.

"I think the guys realize that the EIVA matches are what's important to us if we want to get to the national championships," Lions coach Mark Pavlik said.

"We have to win the EIVA.

"I want and I think this team wants to be the No. 1 seed and be able to host the EIVA championships here again."

The players see a victory over St. Francis as a way to establish themselves as a force in the EIVA.

"I think no matter who we play we have to come out playing like we're the No. 1 team in the nation," senior outside hitter Jason Hawkins said. "We have to get better as each game passes along.

We have to make each play perfect and execute. We want to come out fired up."

St. Francis finished 10-2 in the EIVA last year and in doing so, moved from the Hay division to the more competitive Tait division.

"A win for them is going to be huge for their program," Pavlik said. "I think they come in here with the realization that their goals are so that they have to play well against Penn State. Win or lose, they want to play us tough."

The Lions size will likely be a factor in tonight's matchup.

Of the 18 players on Penn State's roster, 15 of them are at least 6-foot-4. Of the 15 players on the St. Francis roster, five of them are 6-4.

"Our advantage will be our size and our speed and anytime you have that advantage you can keep the pressure on them," Pavlik said.

A good serving game has usually equaled success for the Lions. Against Lewis, Penn State managed 12 ace serves to Lewis' two.

"We have to serve real well," Hawkins said.

"Right now, when our serving is on, we play well. With Jose running a faster offense, I think we'll surprise a bunch of teams."

One of the team's goals of the regular season is to play as well as they possibly can at home, Pavlik said.

"I think that's the incentive right there, to use every home match we can to practice playing really well," he said. "Everything's a dress rehearsal for the EIVAs and the NCAAs."

Penn State has played St. Francis on eight occasions since 1995 and has one all eight of those matches.