“That would be huge for us,” MSU head coach Simone Jardim said. “This is a huge weekend, especially when … we lost to both of those teams last year, so it would be a great way to finish the season as we’re getting closer and closer to the end.”

Jardim said the Spartans still are lingering from a crushing 4-3 loss to Iowa on March 28. To come so close but lose to one of the Big Ten’s best teams is something MSU has struggled to move past, she said.

“We ended up not closing that match and it would have been probably the best win ever for us,” Jardim said. “But after that, we were disappointed by that loss and it kind of affected how things went after that. We definitely have to bounce back and recover.”

MSU will take on the Buckeyes (15-5, 2-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday and will host Penn State (4-12, 0-4) at 10 a.m. Sunday. The matches will either be at the Indoor Tennis Facility or the Wilson Tennis Courts, depending on the weather.

Having not played a match on their home courts since March 21, the Spartans are hoping the familiarity with the Indoor Tennis Facility will give them an advantage.

“When you go to another team’s home court, you have to adjust to their courts,” freshman Amy Barton said. “It might be faster or slower or the lines are different or the color of the court is different, which can make a difference.”

It has been difficult for the Spartans to get back on the winning side, but they are confident that the first victory could come this weekend.

“The whole team has been practicing and playing really hard, so I think to win a Big Ten match now would be a really good thing for the whole team to boost our confidence and bring us more together as a team,” freshman Michaela Silesova said. “It’s been hard but we’re still working really hard and improving our skills to get back to winning.”

If the Spartans are able to get their first conference victory this season, it could be the springboard to success as they close out the regular season and move into the Big Ten Tournament. But getting that first victory is key.

“For everyone, it’s annoying to be so close every time and not be able to pull out the W,” Barton said.

“So it’s just that little bit of knowing what to do in that situation so you can get more confidence to be able to pull out the win if the opportunities do arise.”