Now is the time.

Time for the No. 4 Penn State women's volleyball team (9-0) to show that it belongs among the top teams in the Big Ten.

Its first big test will come Sunday afternoon in Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions will not only be faced with the challenge of playing a very solid Badgers team, but playing them at one of the most intimidating places in the Big Ten, UW Field House.

A former basketball arena, the Field House can hold in excess of 10,000 people.

Something Penn State will never see again in its Big Ten travels and a good early test for the young Lions early in the season.

"At a school like Wisconsin they are going to have at least 6,000 fans cheering against you," junior setter Sam Tortorello said.

"They will already be pumped after the football game and I think those girls are a lot more physical than the one's at BYU and Stanford."

Wisconsin has one of the biggest and most athletic teams in the Big Ten. The Badgers are led by junior Shilea Shaw, who is a player that has gotten Penn State volleyball coach Russ Rose's attention.

The Lions will have to depend on the front row to handle the 6-foot-1 middle hitter. They will especially look to first-year starter redshirt sophomore Kim Holm to step up.

Holm will be key against the healthier Badger middle because she's the only experienced middle that is healthy for Penn State at the moment.

She is really excited to finally have this opportunity to contribute to the team.

"It's about time," she said. "After redshirting and playing sometimes last year, I'm glad to be in there. I'm glad to be finally helping the team."

Holm has also been helping the progress of freshman Melissa Walbridge, who at the beginning of the season was slated to be in the starting line-up ahead of Holm.

She has been explaining the little things to Walbridge in practice and even when she enters a match.

" I'm glad Melissa's getting in there," Holm said. "She's playing really well right now."

But before the young Lions get thrown to the wolves, or Badgers in this case, they will be able to get their feet wet against Northwestern tonight.

The Wildcats come into the match as underdogs. After being voted to finish ninth in the conference by the coaches and finishing the preseason 5-5.

The Wildcats are looking to make a statement and have one big offensive and defensive weapons, in sophomore Julie Purcell and freshman Brittany Aldridge, respectively.

This just isn't a match for some Lions, it's a trip back home for four. Tortorello, Holm, freshman Suzie Jania, and sophomore Ashley Fidler all grew up around the Chicago area, and are excited about going home.

"Oh, yeah," Tortorello said. "This is one of my favorite weekends of the year because I get to see all of my friends and my brothers and sisters will be coming to the matches. It's kind of like playing at home...almost."