According to head coach Pati Rolf, Hickerson will not start for the team at the beginning of the season but she will bring other intangibles to the club.

"She brings a great amount of maturity to the team," Rolf said. "We will also look to Elise to bring a great amount of depth to the team in case of injury."

In another bit of player news, Rolf named senior Gemma Greer team captain for the 2003 season. Greer, who is third all-time in assists at Marquette in assists, was chosen because of her experience and maturity.

"It is very important to have a senior as a captain because of the years of hard work they have put in, along with the amount of experience they have," Rolf said. "I look for Gemma to offer on and off the court.

"In practice I went to Gemma for advice in terms of one of the drills the team was doing. In that way the captain is very important because they serve as the middle man between the players and coaches."

Along with a returning roster consisting of five sophomores, three juniors and two seniors, the team is welcoming four freshmen to the team. Jenn Brown, Jamie Mueller, Lauren Pierce and Nicole Wallace joined the squad this year. While all four have impressed Rolf, Mueller is the only one starting.

"Jamie has impressed me by her tremendous play," Rolf said. "Her background playing on a very elite level before coming to Marquette has helped her out immensely."

After the tournament opener against Texas A&M, Marquette goes against Duke and Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Rolf not only wants her players to take these teams on in competition, but to also have them use this weekend as a learning experience.

"Not only do I want our team to compete against these teams this weekend, but I also want them to watch these schools to see what we need to do to reach the next level as a team," she said.