It's got the momentum, now its just a matter of the Penn State women's tennis team keeping the ball rolling through the remainder of the season.

The Nittany Lions got their first Big Ten win of the season when they defeated Ohio State on Sunday, 4-3. The conference win was the team's first in two years and the Lions are hoping that this is the push they need to excel through the rest of the season.

The team will try to continue its strong play when it visits No. 75 Iowa at 8 tonight. The Lions will follow that match with a trip to north to No. 49 Minnesota on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. In Minnesota, the Lions will be facing a team similar to itself that is seeking its first conference win.

Sunday's win came as the result of strong singles play after the team had one of its worst doubles outings of the season. The Lions looked inconsistent and ill-prepared to face the Buckeyes.

Penn State was able to turn its fortunes around, though, in singles, winning four of the six matches. One of the keys for the team was the continued strong play at the bottom of the Lions' singles ladder. All of Penn State's No. 4-6 players came away with straight-set victories on Sunday.

This weekend, the team will be facing two squads that it is capable of beating but came up short against last season. The Lions won the doubles point last season against the Hawkeyes and the Golden Gophers, but ended up collapsing in singles play.

The opposite problem has plagued the team through much of this season. In many matches, like the Ohio State match, the Lions have played poorly in doubles only to come roaring back in the singles portion.

The Lions know that their doubles play will have to improve because the singles won't always be able to carry the team through matches. In particular, the No. 1 team of Maaria Husain and Sarah Spence will be looking for redemption as it has lost its last four matches together.

As in every match this season, the key in doubles will be the team's ability to maintain composure and stay relaxed in tight situations. The inability to do so at No. 3 doubles against Ohio State ended up costing the team the point. After being up 5-2, the team of Jess McKeown and Andreea Niculescu lost the next six games and the match.

"We succumbed to the pressure," Penn State coach Buffy Baker said. "They're just putting so much pressure on themselves. It is a crucial point and I think they felt that."

Baker referenced the team's doubles play in the upset win against Marshall as an example of the team playing in a relaxed manner and executing. This ability to play calmly and within will prove to be the difference between the Lions going on a winning streak or moving back to its losing ways.