Penn State won its first Big Ten match Feb. 14, winning 6-1 against Ohio State (6-17, 0-10). It has since lost nine straight, including heartbreaking 4-3 losses to Indiana and Northwestern.

At Minnesota, the Lions started off the day by dropping two of three doubles matches to lose the doubles point. Senior Eric Meditz and junior Marc Dorfman lost 8-5 at No. 1 doubles to the Gophers' Ryan Davies and Martin Michalowski. At No. 3 doubles, sophomores Matthew Nielsen and Damon Accardi fell 8-5 to Thomas Haug and Martin Kristoffersen.

Senior Mike Griesser and sophomore Marc McCallister netted the only doubles win with an 8-6 victory at No. 2 doubles against Tyson Perry and Adam Selkirk. Griesser and McCallister have posted a team-best 20-8 record at doubles.

As singles play began, Dorfman lost a close match at No. 2 singles to Haug, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. Haug has posted a stellar 9-1 singles record in the Big Ten.

The Lions dropped the rest of the singles matches in straight sets. Griesser lost at No. 1 singles (6-3, 7-6) to the Gophers' Perry. Meditz fell to Selkirk at No. 3 singles (7-6, 6-2), McCallister lost 6-2, 6-2 to Jon Svensson at No. 4 singles, Nielsen lost to Michalowski at No. 5 singles (6-0, 6-3) and freshman Chris DeStefano lost 6-1, 6-2 to Jorge Duenas at No. 6 singles.

The Lions will now prepare for the Big Ten Championships beginning Thursday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"I know we'll be playing the No. 7 seed," Penn State coach Jan Bortner said, "and we'll be the No. 10 seed."

The No. 7 seed and Penn State's opponent in the first round of the Big Ten Championships will be No. 39 Northwestern (6-11, 4-6). Back on April 11, the Lions dropped a 4-3 match to the Wildcats, winning the doubles point but losing four of six singles matches.