One down, two to go.

The No. 4 Penn State women's volleyball team (24-2, 15-2 Big Ten) will have a chance to get one of the two wins needed to repeat as Big Ten champions as it takes on Illinois (18-7, 10-6) tomorrow in its final home match of the season.

Penn State is currently one game ahead of Ohio State in the conference standings.

The match will also be senior night, and as is the pre-match tradition, Penn State will honor its three senior players: outside hitters Ashley Pederson and Syndie Nadeau, along with fifth-year senior Tabitha Eshleman.

"I would hope that the three seniors have the ability to let the adrenaline take over," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "And fast forward into their last two weeks of being a collegiate athletes and give themselves a chance to make themselves feel good about their last two weeks here."

All three seniors have been crucial to the team's success over the last couple of weekends, especially Nadeau, who has stepped up her game and could arguably be the team's most valuable player. She has averaged a double-double over the last five matches (14.4 kills, 13 digs), a period during which the Nittany Lions needed big-time performances.

Eshleman has stepped up more recently than the aforementioned Nadeau, but has been just as vital. She has recorded 10-plus digs in four of her last five matches and has shored up the back row. Eshleman and junior libero Kaleena Walters have made it hard for opposing teams to record easy points, which has been a key component in the Lions eight-match win streak.

Pederson began the season as the workhorse of the Lions offense, but has seen her attack number decrease over the last month. Not because she wasn't effective in the role, but rather because of the emergence of superfrosh Kate Price, who plays like a grizzled veteran, which has allowed junior setter Sam Tortorello to look away from Pederson more often. Price leads the team in kills and points with 351 and 402, respectively.

The last time these two squads met was Oct. 22. The result was a four-game win for Penn State in Champaign, Ill. The Lions won with a balanced and efficient offensive attack in which three players recorded 10-plus kills and Penn State hit .309 as a team.

"We're not an opponent that [Illinois] will have to change everything they do to neutralize us," Rose said. "We're a good volleyball team. We've had matches where three or four different people have led us in kills. We have to hope that our balanced helps us."

The defense was also stellar for the Lions. They recorded 11.5 blocks and held the Illini to a .169 hitting percentage. The block was led by blocking machine, freshman Melissa Walbridge, who had nine in the contest.

The match tomorrow will also consist of a special giveaway, which is a bobblehead made in the likeness of Coach Rose. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and only the first 1,000 fans will receive the free statuette of the women's volleyball coach.