However, Berger, James and James Dwyer all went 2-0 during the weekend, at No. 3, 5 and 6, respectively, showing the talent and depth possessed by the Penn State singles lineup.
Still, the Lions lost the doubles point about as closely as one can get, with Berger and Barry winning at No. 2, and the other two pairings each losing in 9-8 in a tiebreak. Even with the loss, things are looking up for the recently woeful doubles play of the Lions.
"Northwestern has some really good doubles, and getting within a couple points of beating them, our doubles play is getting better," Bortner said. "I saw a drastic improvement as far as how we played in doubles [Sunday], that's something we'll take a look at in practice this week."
Bortner is still undecided if he plans on sticking with the new doubles combinations but some of the results from the weekend are promising.
"Two out of three combinations look solid -- guys are playing with energy and spirit at two and three," he said.
If all three pairings show up consistently, the Lions could finally break their streak of starting the singles down 1-0 in every Big Ten match this season. With a road trip to Ohio State (11-6, 3-1) coming up, the Lions need to reverse that trend more than ever.
"To win on the road in the Big Ten, you need all seven of your guys to bring their 'A' game," Bortner said. "Right now, we still don't have that from all seven."
