With only 10 players on the roster this year, the Marquette women's basketball team has put some pressure on itself. In order for the squad to be successful this season in the Big East, each player on the team needs to be ready and prepared for every minute, every play and every game.

Yes, it's a lot easier said then done.

With a frustrating loss to Northern Colorado over the weekend and a starting guard position that is still up in the air, the future of the 2005-'06 season may be a bit unclear. But so far, there is one thing that both coaches and players can depend on each game to make things happen — the post players.

Junior forwards Christina Quaye, Jasmine McCullough and Danielle Kamm and sophomore forward Svetlana Kovalenko make up the solid group of post players that other teams find so menacing.

Their consistent play led the Golden Eagles to finish the exhibition slate undefeated and their scoring and rebounding has led to two wins in their last three games.

While the post players' job is to score in the post and grab rebounds, they certainly are not limited to just that. They make their free throws, they steal the ball, they dish out assists, and they make their shots not only in the paint, but also on the perimeter.

Good for Marquette. Bad for everyone else.

"They're top of the line (post players)," said senior guard Carolyn Kieger. "They're strong and quick and they have the ability to go by people because they are so much quicker then most players."

A call placed Tuesday morning seeking comment from the post players was not returned by late Wednesday evening.

McCullough and Quaye have been the anchors for most of the Golden Eagles' wins since the beginning of the season.

McCullough's double-double led Marquette to its first exhibition win against Cardinal Stritch. That trend carried into the regular season, and when McCullough has seen double digits, Marquette has seen Ws. In each of the Golden Eagle's three wins this season McCullough passed the 10-point mark, including her career-high 19 points against Montana State. The only game that she failed to score in double digits was the loss to Montana State.

Quaye has been consistent in both her scoring and her rebounding. In the four games the Golden Eagles have played, Quaye has registered two double-doubles and has scored at least 11 points and eight rebounds in each game.

"They all have the ability to score and to defend," Kieger said. "It works to our advantage that they are all so versatile."

Kamm's ability to score three different ways may make her one of the most versatile athletes on the team. She has scored in double figures twice in four games, is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 13 total assists.

Kovalenko may be the sixth person on the team, but her ability to score from off the bench has helped the Golden Eagles this season. She scored in double digits in both exhibition games and has made the most of her time on the court, shooting 40 percent from the field to average 3.5 points a game, in addition to her 4.5 rebounds, in just 16.3 minutes a game.

Three weeks before their first exhibition game, the Golden Eagles were practicing their play in the post. Now less then three weeks into the regular season, it seems the team is still practicing the exact same thing.

While the Marquette guards have the talent and the ability to make the shots, their first look is still to one of the four girls down low.

"Our plan was to work the ball inside to our post players," said Terri Mitchell in a statement after the Montanta State game.

So far, the plan seems to be working out rather nicely.