Something's gotta give.

If the No. 4 Penn State women's volleyball team prevails tonight, the possibility of a back-to-back Big Ten Championship becomes closer to reality.

The Nittany Lions (23-2, 14-2 Big Ten) face No. 7 Ohio State (24-2, 14-2 Big Ten) tonight in the Buckeyes' jungle, and both are tied for first place in the Big Ten Conference standings.

Penn State is rolling on seven straight wins since both teams last met, Oct. 20 in Rec Hall when the Lions fell, 2-3 (25-30, 30-22, 26-30, 30-26, 11-15). Over the same span of time Ohio State has gone 5-2, losing to both No. 5 Minnesota and Illinois, both games part of Buckeye road trips.

Penn State on the other hand defeated both Minnesota and Illinois.

The Buckeyes have not lost on their home court all season long, but Penn State has not lost a game on the road all season either.

Something's gotta give.

"We had opportunities to win in the fifth game [in the Oct. 20 meeting]," Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose said. "When you go to five games with somebody and it's rally score it's really anyone's match. It certainly favors Ohio State when they can get the ball to Stacey Gordon. We were at 8-8 in the fifth game and didn't play well. They did."

Gordon, the Buckeyes star outside hitter, is making a strong case for National Player of the Year, and was named Big Ten Player of the Week this week for the fifth time all year. The senior pounded 36 kills the last times these teams squared off, but that was seen as acceptable by Rose.

"I would be wasting my time trying to come up with a specific game plan," Rose said, about strategies to stop Gordon. "You know, in baseball they walk Bonds. In volleyball, she's going to get hers, and what we have to do is try to play a little better on some of the other kids than we did last time."

Keeping the other Buckeye ballers under lock-and-key was what inevitably did in the Lions in the last meeting. Middle hitter Maya Mapp was particularly deadly against the Lions, with 13 kills for a .435 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Ami Stevens also clocked in a clutch performance for the Buckeyes, with 11 kills at a .310 hitting percentage.

Up against all that offensive power, the block was key for getting things started for Penn State, with freshman middle hitter Melissa Walbridge, sophomore middle hitter Cassy Salyer and senior outside hitter Syndie Nadeau contributing six, seven, and seven blocks, respectively.

Tonight's game is key in the stretch run for the Lions pursuit of a back-to-back Big Ten Championship. With a chance to exceed preseason expectations, the last four games are make or break.

"I would say that I'm pleased with the progress we've made in a lot of areas," Rose said. "I'm not ready to concede the fact that we're going to win the Big Ten. We have four matches left. If we fall on our face in the last four matches of the Big Ten season we'll finish where I ranked us at the beginning of the year. So, I'm hoping that the players prove me wrong."

"We didn't play very well in our victory against Wisconsin. If we play like we played against Wisconsin then I think its safe to say that we're going to have ourselves some trouble."

Luckily for Rose, his players do have confidence.

"As upperclassmen, we know how long of a Big Ten season it is," senior outside hitter Ashley Pederson said. "As it gets closer, we're pumped we're four matches away [from another Big Ten Championship], and we know we have the experience from last year to do it."