BLACKSBURG, Va. -- This is where the road gets bumpy.

The top-seeded Penn State Lady Lions will have their first tough match of the NCAA Tournament tonight when they face the No. 8 seed, Virginia Tech, at 7 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

This is not only because the Lady Lions will need to find a way to stop the Hokies' 6-foot-4 Latvian sensation, Ieva Kublina, but also because they have to play Virginia Tech on its home court.

But instead of seeing this as a bad situation, the Penn State players seem to be uniting, knowing that they had it too easy in the past, whereas this Frodo-esque journey may toughen them up for the later rounds.

"The past couple years, we've been fortunate not to leave Penn State," guard Tanisha Wright said. "We were babied. We played at home; we didn't have to move; we didn't have to travel much until a couple games afterwards. Now, being able to play on the road and win on the road will boost our confidence."

That may be easier said than done as the Hokies' defensive prowess has made them one of the toughest teams to play, especially on their home court. Virginia Tech (23-7) has only lost at home twice this season, and one of those losses came to national power Connecticut. Despite the fact that they are playing at home, Virginia Tech women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson said she isn't thinking upset this early.

"Our players realize that alone, playing here won't guarantee us a win," Henrickson said.

She went on to say that for her players to beat the Lady Lions, they have to play a near-perfect game and not make the little mistakes that would end up killing a team in the end.

And if there is one Virginia Tech player who has even more reason to come out firing against Penn State, it's sophomore point guard Carrie Mason. Mason, who is averaging 11 points per game this season, hails from Seneca, Pa., and said she has been waiting for the opportunity to play the team that she grew up around ever since she saw this year's bracket.

"I think you can say that there is a little more motivation," Mason said. "They're such a great team, and it's such a great opportunity to play them here for a chance to get into the Sweet 16."

Heading into tonight's game knowing that for one team there is no tomorrow, the Lady Lions seem confident about getting to the next round.

"They've had their backs up, and the schedule has prepared them," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said. "Everything that has happened to us has helped us get prepared for the situation that we're in right now."