Penn State and St. Francis (Pa.) are two teams headed in opposite directions.

The Nittany Lions (9-4) are winners of three straight and seven of their last eight, including two wins this weekend at the Hall of Fame Classic. The Red Flash (7-10), however, have dropped two in a row and lost five of their last seven, including one to Penn State last Tuesday. The two will meet tonight at 7 at St. Francis.

Consistency has been coming around for the Lions. They have consistently dominated each opponent with their size and strength. They have consistently outhit and outdug their opponents. They have consistently outworked and outsmarted their opponents. Most importantly, they have consistently won.

"We are getting closer to the consistency I am looking for," Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik said.

"We didn't play sharp against Springfield, but we played sharp enough. Against U.C.-Irvine, we struggled to get in a rhythm, but when we did, we were clicking. I think the consistency is starting to improve."

On the other hand, the only thing that has been consistent for the Red Flash has been their lack of size and physicality.

"We are more physical than [St. Francis]," Pavlik said. "If we play at that physical level, it will be hard for them to get on any kind of roll."

The only St. Francis player that can really match Penn State's size is freshman middle hitter Marc Honore. Honore did not play last week against Penn State due to injury, but has been practicing. With his 6-foot-6 frame, Honore can pose a problem in the middle. He is a big, athletic player that is strong on both the block and attack.

Even if Honore is in the lineup, the game plan will be the same tonight as it was last week for the Lions against St. Francis. In that game, the Red Flash were timid and could not get anything going. The Lions took advantage of their size and strength to control the match. With 88 service aces this year, St. Francis could only manage four, and the Red Flash hit at a woeful .000 clip.

"We will be better at home," St. Francis men's volleyball coach Mike Rumbaugh said. "We are used to the atmosphere and should be less intimidated."

Penn State will be ready for an improved St. Francis performance, Pavlik said.

"Their serve will be better simply because they will be in an environment they are comfortable with," he said. "Having said that, I would still stick Ricky [Mattei] against any server in the country."

The Lions are particularly looking to attack at the antennas, especially if the 6-foot-6 freshman Honore playing.

"We just want to get the antennas and make them beat us with smaller players," Pavlik said.

The Lions' performance last week against the Red Flash allowed the younger players to get some playing time. There is no guarantee they will get a chance to play tonight, but Pavlik would like to get them in.

"If we have the right situations to get the young guys in, we will," he said. "I will play it by ear. First, we must do what we have to do to win. We need to go into the match with the same attitude we had last week. If we assert our size advantage, we should be fine."