The light at the end of the tunnel for the No. 57 Penn State men's tennis team all season had been the same -- a berth to the NCAA Team Championships.

This weekend the Nittany Lions (13-5, 3-5 Big Ten) will be fighting for their postseason lives when they host Michigan State at 3 p.m. today, either outside at the Sarni Tennis Center or in the Penn State Indoor Tennis Center, depending on the weather. The weekend, and the Lions' regular season, culminates with perhaps the biggest match of the year, when they host No. 39 Michigan at noon Sunday.

Coming off a three-match losing skid, the Lions must rebound against two more-than-worthy opponents. With a weekend sweep, the Lions will be 5-5 in the Big Ten and, if everything goes their way, could be sitting in fifth place amidst a four-team logjam at 5-5. For next weekend's Big Ten Championships, this would guarantee the Lions a first-round bye.

Bouncing back from that kind of letdown, however, will not be easy.

"First off, we have to forget about what happened last weekend and put it behind us," senior co-captain Mark Barry said of last weekend's pair of 5-2 losses at the hands of Minnesota and Iowa. "This weekend we have to have some fun and go after our opportunity."

Moving on will require Penn State to take advantage of the home crowd by getting out on top quickly by finally winning the doubles point. Winning the point has been a problem for the Lions, as they have started with a 1-0 deficit in their last four matches, going 1-3 during that span.

"We need a combined effort from all of our [doubles] teams," junior Ryan Berger said. "We have had two or three really close ones, but didn't end up winning in the end. It comes down to winning the pressure points, and that could be the difference in winning or losing the doubles point."

The Lions will need an effort consistent with Berger and teammate Brad Hunter's, who won at No. 2 doubles in each of Penn State's recent losses. By winning those big points, the Lions can take advantage of the home court advantage provided by a friendly crowd for two big matchups.

"When you have the home court advantage and are on the serve, it helps out," Penn State coach Bill Potoczny said. "It gives you that little extra when you're playing in front of people you know -- any competitor likes that opportunity to show what they can do."

Adding to the weekend's significance is Sunday serving as senior day for both Barry and co-captain Malcolm Scatliffe. That could add to the mounting pressure with a letdown unaffordable.

"I'm just going to go out there and have a lot of fun and try not to think of it," Barry said. "I'm going to miss it, but I'm going to go out swinging and have fun."