Last time the Penn State men's volleyball team went head-to-head against Juniata, it was 5-2, with only two wins in the EIVA.

Today it will be the same Nittany Lion team (17-3, 10-0 EIVA), but with 12 more overall wins, including eight more in the EIVA.

Considering that Penn State is one of the leading men's volleyball programs on the East Coast, Eagles' players may have had this match circled on their calendars since the start of the season.

"It's probably the biggest game of their schedule, so they'll be pumped up," junior outside hitter Carlos Guerra said.

The Lions, however, travel to Juniata for their 7 p.m. match in Memorial Gym, looking beyond their opponent and ahead to the NCAA championships.

The Eagles (8-9, 5-7 EIVA), though showing that they are capable of pulling off an upset by sweeping George Mason recently, do not mirror the level of competition Penn State expects to see at the Final Four May 2-4.

The Lions know that they not only have to play at a higher level than Juniata, but they also have to play at a high enough level to be prepared for the NCAA championships.

"If we want to get better, we have to play at a 40 to 50 percent higher level than Juniata," Guerra said.

Dating back to 2000, Penn State has won all 20 matches against Juniata, and has swept them the last five times they have met. This season, behind 10 kills and a .692 hitting percentage from junior middle hitter Zach Slenker, the Lions easily disposed of the Eagles in three games (30-19, 30-21, 30-25).

Behind Penn State's size and experience, senior setter Jose Quinones doesn't see any reason for the result to be any different this time out against Juniata.

"If we come out and play like we should, we'll dominate and control every aspect of the match." Quinones said.

With the regular season winding down, the Lions are using its remaining matches and practices as a springboard for the postseason.

"Every day in practice it's a battle," Quinones said. "We can't have bad practices. We can't be stuck on a level. We have to keep playing at a higher level. There's only a month left so it's now or never."

Guerra said that the team's focus is on intensity and improvement.

"We have to keep getting better. We can't let down," Guerra said. "Every day in practice we have to play like it's the Final Four."