It took longer than expected, but Penn State men’s volleyball tallied the win column for the first time this season on Saturday. After losing seven straight games, the Nittany Lions avoided their worst start in program history with a sweep over Harvard.

The last time it took the Nittany Lions more than seven games to get their first win was in 1999. That year, they turned their season around by winning five of their next six matches after ending the losing streak. They also went on an eight-match winning streak during the season.

This year, Penn State will seek to do the same when it takes on Saint Francis this weekend in a two-game series.

“[That win] gives us something to build upon,” head coach Mark Pavlik said. “I think now the [team] has an idea of what they are capable of doing. Let’s just be what we can be. I think our best volleyball is going to be played in late March, early April.”

Late March to early April is the same time the 1999 team went on that eight-match win streak. That team finished the season with a 22-13 record, won the EIVA Championship, and played in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. History indicates that Penn State could turn its season around after getting its first win.

Despite the 1-7 start, Penn State lost six of those seven matches against ranked opponents. During that stretch against ranked opponents, the Nittany Lions only won three sets, got swept three times, and never played their opponent to five sets.

Even though this has hurt Penn State’s rankings after starting the season as the eighth-best team in the country, Pavlik said it was important for the team to get those matches against high-quality opponents early in the season.

“You much rather find out where you stand against quality competition, where you’re looking at yourself saying, ‘Here’s a weakness. We got to shore this area.’ I’d rather do that in January and February than wait until April when you’re in the most important part of your season,” Pavlik said.

This Saturday, Penn State will have its first home match of the season over a month after it started. Playing at Rec Hall has been a huge advantage for Penn State, it hasn’t lost a game there in almost two years, and Pavlik said he’s excited his team finally has the opportunity to play in front of fans after nine straight away games.

Even though Saint Francis boasts a record of 1-8, Pavlik said it is a better team than its record indicates. Last season, Penn State defeated Saint Francis twice but had to go to five sets in both matches, including a reverse sweep. For that reason, the 31-year coach stressed the importance of repeating things they did well in their last match and applying them to Saint Francis.

“If we can stay patient [and] hit the court, we’re going to be in a pretty good spot, but I also think Saint Francis is there,” Pavlik said. “They’re going to put up a physical battle but it’s going to be two good matches for us.”

Before Penn State heads to Phoenix against No. 10 Grand Canyon at the beginning of March, the team will have the opportunity to get on track in the EIVA.

In this stretch, the Nittany Lions will get another crack against a ranked opponent when they take on No. 19 NJIT on the road next week in a two-game series. Not only will this stretch have huge implications for their conference, but it will demonstrate how resilient this team is compared to the 1999 team.

The opportunity has presented itself for this team to get back on track. Acknowledging this, Pavlik said the goal for his team during their remaining stretch of February is to just keep getting better.

“We got to put ourselves in a position where we can win the EIVA Conference,” Pavlik said. “I would certainly like to [host], but that’s really where our focus lies. How do we take what we learned against these teams and make sure that we’re ready for the stretch in April.”