Momentum. Catch it while you can.

This is the mentality that the Penn State women's tennis team will utilize to come away with two victories this weekend. The team will face George Washington at noon tomorrow, and Princeton on at 11 a.m. Sunday. Both matches will be held in the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center.

Penn State (2-3) will look to extend its streak after a decisive victory over St. John's on Sunday. Last weekend, the women had trouble winning the first set and were forced to fight for their victories. Penn State women's tennis coach Buffy Baker wants to see her players win that crucial first set and keep momentum on the Lions' side.

"I would like to see us come out and get a lead early on and maintain that," Baker said. "To know when and how momentum is available to us and just reach out and grab it. I feel like we have it knocking at the door, and some of our girls are oblivious that it's there to be taken. Whether that be showing good body language, like pumping a fist, or continuing with the same game plan."

As of late, the team has faced problems in doubles play, which it hopes to rebound from. There is expected to be two new doubles combinations at this weekend's matches. Baker has been mixing and matching players to find three solid teams to earn Penn State the most points possible. The athletes are aware of the changes that are constantly being made and are adapting very well, according to Baker.

"I know the doubles point has been something we have all been working on," junior Sasha Abraham said. "That will be something we would love to have in the bag for both of the games."

Both of this weekend's opponents are rather unfamiliar to the Lions. George Washington and Princeton are both under first-year coaches and should be ready to battle. The competition is expected to be equal to that of last weekend, according to Baker.

"It would be hard to say how good they are because the team they were then is not the team they are now," Abraham said. "As good as it is to know how good the competition is, sometimes by not knowing it just makes the entire team more prepared for pretty much everything."

One thing that needs to be carried over from last weekend's matches is the team's confidence level. Even with last week's loss against Marshall, the players were able to remain confident to defeat St. John's two days later. It's this technique that needs to be used during this weekend's matches.

Once that first set is won, it is up to the players to keep their confidence throughout the match and pull away with a win. Even if their "A" game is not there, the players are the ones that need to figure out how to battle that challenge, according to Baker. Without a strong sense of confidence, the game plan will be much weaker.

"I would say there are several players coming off of last weekend that should be feeling confident," Baker said. "Confidence is a choice, and that's a matter of being able to block the distractions. Everybody has a poor performance. The better athletes know where to place that, learn from it and move on."