Even if it hasn't been dominating every point in every game of every match, the No. 5 Penn State men's volleyball team is still on a five-match winning streak.

Tonight at 7 in Rec Hall, the Nittany Lions will look to keep improving and keep the streak going when they face off against Ball State.

Head coach Mark Pavlik is looking to ensure both those things.

"We've got to keep the guys going in a direction that we saw in Game 3 of George Mason and the start of Game 3 against Juniata," Pavlik said. "It's just a matter of going through and to continue improving in the areas we have been improving."

Penn State began its 2007 campaign against the Cardinals, defeating them in three games. Since then, Ball State (7-4, 2-0 MIVA) has had a similar season as the Lions (6-2, 3-0 EIVA). After dropping four matches, the Cardinals have gone on a six-match winning streak and most recently captured the Volleyball Hall of Fame title.

"Always, after you get some information on a team and info on your own team, you just get more and more comfortable," Pavlik said. "It would be unfair to say that they didn't improve."

Since the first match, both sides have definitely improved.

The Lions will have to contain outside hitter Nick Meyer, who was named Most Outstanding Player in the Volleyball Hall of Fame tournament. He is also the reigning MIVA Player of the Week, an honor he's held for two weeks.

After Penn State lost its second and third matches of the season, it hasn't lost since and has only dropped two games in that span. Three EIVA wins last week put it in first place in the conference.

In this stretch, junior setter Luke Murray was named this week's EIVA Player of the Week, an honor previously held by senior outside hitter Alex Gutor.

Murray, who is a first-year setter and stepping in for Dan O'Dell, has shown improvement statistically and kept games alive while setting for his outside and middle hitters.

The team has been slightly inconsistent in its five-match winning streak. Slow starts plagued the Lions in Game 1 against No. 15 St. Francis and in Game 2 against George Mason. Overall, however, Pavlik believes his team is moving in the right direction.

"We're in the right places," Pavlik said. "We are thinking the right things.

"It's just a matter of keeping the guys on task."

Notes

This weekend was supposed to be a doubleheader against MIVA opponents, but tomorrow's match against Loyola was canceled prior to the begining of the men's volleyball season.