The road to a national championship is, figuratively, long and hard, paved with triumphs and difficulties, thrills and setbacks. It's filled with treacherous potholes in upsets and stiff competition and patches of smooth, flat roadway against lesser competition.

This year for the Penn State men's volleyball team, the road ends where Burrowes and Curtin intersect. But the trip is not as easy as simply hopping on the White Loop.

Ironically, the long trek to the title starts and ends at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions' home gym is the site of the 2006 NCAA men's volleyball final four and, at 7 tonight, is the site of their first step toward coming back for the ultimate prize in May, vs. St. Francis (Pa.) (0-1).

"I think it's really important to start the year off with a solid win," senior co-captain Matt Proper said. "I mean, St. Francis isn't the toughest opponent we're gonna see all year, but it might be good for us to get our feet wet and start the year off right.

"If we start off with a good win [tonight ] it will set the tone for a good year."

Not only is it the Lions' first match of the season, it also happens to be an EIVA conference opener.

"I hope our guys want to send the message that if we're gonna win the EIVA regular season, we're gonna host the EIVA championships, you, as an EIVA team, you've gotta play the match of your life in here to beat us, to keep us from going to the NCAA championship," Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik said.

In the Nov. 16 preseason EIVA poll, Penn State (0-0) was ranked No. 1 in the Tait Division, and is currently sixth nationally. The Red Flash, who is also in the Tait Division, was ranked sixth within the division, one spot ahead of last-ranked NYU.

The Lions feel that they have the upper hand on their Pennsylvania foe, and look to exploit their weaknesses with powerful outside hitters, such as Proper and freshman Matt Anderson.

"The physical mismatches we have, we have got to take advantage of," Pavlik said.

"We can't be hitting balls out of bounds from the antennae -- we do that, it essentially just eliminates any advantage we have."

Anderson, who was stellar in fall preseason matches, will be starting, and freshman middle hitter Max Holt will also step in to fill some gaps. Holt will see significant time vs. St. Francis and in the future, as junior middle hitter Kyle Masterson will be sidelined for the season with a back injury.

St. Francis, however, does have one of the best middle hitters on the East Coast in Marc Honore. Pavlik wants tonight to set the tone for the rest of the year, en route to what he hopes is Penn State's second national championship.