One last time, the senior members of the Penn State men's volleyball team will take to the court of Rec Hall -- during the regular season, that is.

Though it will be Senior Night at 7 p.m. tomorrow when the No. 11 Nittany Lions (16-7, 11-1 EIVA) take on Lewis (9-15), it will not be the last time they play at Rec Hall.

Penn State clinched the EIVA regular-season championship after losing only one conference match, ensuring home-court advantage throughout the EIVA tournament. The Lions also have the luxury of hosting this year's NCAA Final Four.

So the last hurrah at home for seniors tomorrow night is only really the beginning of their homestand. Nevertheless, the emotions will be high, senior co-captain Nate Meerstein said, and the team plans to use it to its advantage.

"It's technically not the last time in Rec Hall, but the seniors always want to go out on a good note," Meerstein said. "I know the younger guys always want to play for them, too. I know I always wanted to."

Tomorrow night's match is the second step in the Midwest portion of Penn State's schedule. On Tuesday, the Lions topped No. 14 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, and next weekend they will face No. 12 Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and Ball State.

And, as they have all season, leading the way through the final stretch of the regular season will be the seniors.

Senior co-captain Matt Proper, one of this year's recipients of the McCoy Memorial Award, given to one male and one female student-athlete at Penn State for outstanding athletic and academic performance, has been one of the shining stars.

He's leading the team in kills (325), is hitting .395 and had a career outing last time he was on the court. Against the Buckeyes, he summoned a career-high 29-kill effort while managing to attack at a .444 rate.

Not to be outdone by his fellow captain and roommate, Meerstein has put up big numbers. The 6-foot-9 senior middle hitter has put away 210 kills this season and is hitting best on the team of anyone with two or more kills (libero Aaron Smith has one kill on .500 hitting) at a .475 clip.

But it isn't the current success of the senior class that Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik will remember.

"It's always interesting to remember them their first couple days in the gym as wide-eyed freshman, who were really trying to figure out what was going on, what to do," Pavlik said. "And four or five years later, they're leaders of the team."

The man who's been directing the offense for the past four years, senior setter Dan O'Dell, has been rehabbing his knee and will be a game-time decision, Pavlik said. One thing O'Dell is sure of, though, is that the bonds he's formed over the past four years are more important then the wins and losses that have accumulated over that time.

"I came in here not knowing these guys," O'Dell said. "And now, walking away, these guys are my best friends. It's been a great four years to play with them."