For its second week of the season, the Penn State women's tennis team wanted to come away with two solid victories this past weekend.

The competition proved to be too difficult for the Nittany Lions (2-3). On Friday night, the women fell to Marshall University, 4-3. The team bounced back yesterday with a decisive victory over St. John's University, 6-1.

Marshall, one of the best teams in the Eastern Region, has become a rival for Penn State recently. The match remained close up until the last sets of the final matches.

Marshall was able to capitalize on the doubles matches, especially. Penn State was unable to come away with a doubles victory, as Marshall swept all three matches.

"I would say I worried about a very poor doubles point," Penn State women's tennis coach Buffy Baker said. "A doubles point where we did not compete. We didn't show up to compete. We fell apart at the end."

The highlight for the Lions against Marshall was their tenacity during singles play. The women were able to take three of the six matches. One match in particular that stood out in Coach Baker's mind came from junior Katelyn BeVard. BeVard defeated Marshall's Karolina Soor in a three-set match, 0-6, 7-6, 7-6.

BeVard and her teammates found themselves battling with every point of the match to come away with a victory.

"I know we did lose against Marshall, but I think we all did really, really well," junior Sasha Abraham said. "There were some three-set matches that some of the girls pulled out. It was a battle, a really good fight. I can't imagine why the team wouldn't feel confident."

Baker made sure to have her eye on sophomore Jenny Shular as she competed for the first time after being ill with mononucleosis. Shular pushed her Marshall opponent to a third set, in which Shular soon became tired, according to Baker. Against St. John's, Shular came back strongly with a singles victory.

"I'm feeling better," Shular said. "Confidence is coming back slowly. I like the opportunity to get back in the lineup and play matches. Match play is what is going to get me ready for the Big Ten's."

In general, Baker was impressed with the Marshall match and how her players were able to fight back on the court.

"Overall, it was a great college match," Baker said. "It's what you always want to see. You want to see it come down to the last match in a third set, and just battling it out. You leave everything out there, and you compete to your own ability, your own level that you can bring out that day. At the end of the day, as a coach, that's what I'm asking from them."

Against St. John's the team looked much sharper and was able to end the weekend on a good note. Now the team will work this weekend to prepare for its next set of matches this weekend against George Washington and Princeton.

"We're going to be working on discipline play," Baker said. "We're working on high percentage play, which is being disciplined on the court. Realizing what you can and can't do. What are your limitations and do you hang in with those limitations."