After its worst loss of the season, the No. 67 Penn State men's tennis team (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten) will look to rebound against No. 56 Virginia Tech (7-8) in Blacksburg, Va.

The Nittany Lions must flex some of their muscle as a power in the East against their higher-ranked opponents.

That muscle flexing, however, may be more likely from the Hokies, who feature a powerful serve and volley game.

"They have a lot of big, tall guys with huge serves," senior Clint Keithley said of the Hokies' lineup, which he is very familiar with. "The Virginia Tech guys are really aggressive, so we have to work on being patient."

Once again the Lions must face a team with very talented players, as the Hokies boast the No. 39 player in the nation, senior Andreas Laulund.

The Odense, Denmark native, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing over 200 pounds, fits the mold of the large, aggressive player that the Hokies feature.

The match will be the Lions first real road test of the season, as they traveled to Altoona earlier this year to play Duquesne in a neutral site match.

The trip to Blacksburg will test the Lions ability to win away from the familiar setting of the Penn State Tennis Center.

"At home, you develop a routine, but you have to change that when you go on the road," Keithley said. "They have a great facility there, so it shouldn't be too much of a change."

Penn State men's tennis coach Jan Bortner worked this week on restoring some confidence that the team lost against Ohio State last weekend. One key area that Bortner focused on avoiding was unforced errors, which plagued the Lions against the Buckeyes.

"Unforced errors are the equivalent of a turnover in basketball," Bortner said.

"In tennis, there are four ways to lose a point, and the worst is hitting the ball into the net."

To return to its winning ways, the team must accomplish "controlled aggression."

This concept, which Bortner has preached to his players, means the player must go for his shot, but also have the patience and control to avoid making errors.

The Lions weren't able to do that in their last matchup.

"Last week we got beat worse than we hoped, so now it's back to the basics," junior Jim Crowell said.

"We have to make [Virginia Tech] beat us."