Toughness is not something most people usually associate with tennis. But that is just what the No. 61 Penn State men's tennis team (10-1) will need this weekend, when it will play three matches over the course of two days, including a doubleheader tomorrow.

The Nittany Lions will take on St. Bonaventure (4-4) in the morning and then must regroup to play Division II Bloomsburg at 5 p.m. Penn State then returns to action against Lafayette (1-0) on Sunday.

This means that at least five of the Penn State players will play in six matches, with the singles and doubles combined, this weekend.

Fresh off a 4-3 upset of Virginia Tech last weekend that opened their spring season, the Lions moved up nine spots in the rankings and take with them the confidence of beating a great team.

This could be a setback, however, as the team must look to avoid a letdown against teams that are not nearly as skilled as the Hokies.

"We have to forget about the win that we just had -- it's over with," sophomore Ryan Berger said. "We beat Virginia Tech, but now we have to move on and prepare for this weekend."

After playing a match tomorrow morning, the biggest chance for a letdown will be against Bloomsburg, who, as a Division II team, could easily be overlooked.

Last year Bloomsburg came into Happy Valley with a contingent of rowdy fans and gave the Lions their best, seemingly catching Penn State off guard. The Lions recovered and managed to run away with the match, winning 7-0, but Bloomsburg will look to be just as dangerous this time.

"They'll be coming in, and this is their chance to make a statement," Penn State coach Jan Bortner said. "This is their first match so they're obviously looking to jump start their season with a big win over Penn State. They've got a lot of Pennsylvania guys, so that makes it a good rivalry."

Berger added that Bloomsburg has nothing to lose in this match.

"All the pressure is on us to win," he said. "We just have to take care of business and make our shots and everything will be fine."

To keep from wearing down tomorrow, the Lions held shorter practices this week, but know it was necessary to keep up the intensity. Hydrating, eating well, resting and stretching will be key for the Lions between their matches tomorrow and then before Sunday's match. They will not only be battling their opponents but the fatigue of a long weekend.

"We'll find out is who's in shape and which guys are tough enough to play two in one day," Bortner said.