To balance style, substance is key.

The No. 39 Penn State men's tennis team has found both at the No. 3 doubles spot with senior co-captain Malcolm Scatliffe and sophomore James Dwyer.

Although Scatliffe has been playing both singles and doubles all year long, Dwyer earned his spot in the lineup during spring break.

"He really made a case for himself when he came to the coaches and wanted to know what he needed to do to make an impact," Penn State coach Bill Potoczny said. "The coaches told him to just worry about his game and work hard in practice. He really elevated his game in both singles and doubles and has played with the spunk needed to be a starter."

Since Dwyer earned that starting spot, the No. 3 duo is 3-0 and has assured the Lions three doubles points. The biggest came last Sunday at Virginia Tech when the duo clinched the doubles point for Penn State. That point proved to be huge when the Lions won the overall match 4-3.

"He improved on his volleys and game at the net and that's what you have to do in doubles," Scatliffe said of how his doubles partner. "Against Virginia Tech, he made some big volleys."

Dwyer and Scatliffe have found success in their styles of play, which complement each other's on the court for doubles. Dwyer is more of a steady player with a great return game, while Scatliffe can finish off points around the net with a more flashy style.

"I make the basic plays, he makes the flashy plays," Dwyer said. "He hits the big shots to win the points, and I make the steady shots to set him up -- I'll make a return and he gets the poach volleys around the net."

With Dwyer's steady return game, it forces opponents to hit more shots and, as they have to make more and more returns, they have to worry about making errors, Potoczny said. When thinking about making errors, players could float a few easy volleys over the net where Scatliffe can make his opponents pay.

The pairing, though it has been working out with the Lions at 11-1 and amidst a five-match winning streak, was not a guaranteed success. Potoczny said that while pairing Dwyer with anyone on the team could have been possible, he and assistant coach Dan Holman wanted to definitely try him with Scatliffe.

The Lions will be hoping their success continues, as they will need strong doubles play against Indiana next week. For the team to win that doubles point, it will need to rely on hitting good first serves and returns, the consistent style Potoczny says the team needs.

Scatliffe and Dwyer have had found consistency with their different, yet complementary styles, helping the Lions solidify their doubles play.

"It's exciting to play with Malcolm, we're goods friends on and off the court, and I respect him and his game so much," Dwyer said. "Learning from him on the court, he's always telling me to keep my head up and keeping me positive."