Preparing her team for a mid-day match in the 80-plus degree conditions of Tampa, Fla., women's tennis head coach Jody Bronson has everyone sipping the Kool-Aid. Or something along those lines.

"We just have to make sure we stay hydrated," Bronson said. "We're drinking lots of Gatorade."

Coming off its best season since 2001 and heading into the Big East tournament with a No. 4 seed and a first-round bye, the team will need more than sports drinks to chase the taste of last year's 11th-place finish.

Bronson said earning the bye was a team goal all year. She also said her players need to realize the work that went into meeting that goal can carry them further.

"They need to believe in what they've been doing," Bronson said. "To go futher, they know they need to be on top of their game. They need to put it all together, mentally and physically."

To get past the quarterfinals, Bronson's team will need to go through No. 5-seeded West Virginia (12-10, 6-1 Big East) or No. 12-seeded Rutgers (6-12, 3-7). The two play at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Marquette posted a 5-2 win at Rutgers April 1 and did not face West Virginia.

"We will have a chance to see West Virginia play on Thursday," she said. "We will be scouting them."

However, before taking on the winner of Thursday's game, Marquette will tackle an opponent for which it has been preparing all season – the heat.

Marquette already has played in Florida and Puerto Rico this year – games Bronson said were scheduled to help prepare the team for the weather during the conference tournament.

"We're hoping it'll help us out this weekend; that's why we scheduled those matches," Bronson said. "We'll be practicing at noon, so we're out there at the same time we're going to play. We're just trying to do everything we can to give us any kind of edge we can get."

Junior Maria Calbeto said avoiding fatigue in the heat will be one of her major goals as she prepares for the tournament.

"We're going to try to get used to the climate," Calbeto said. In Florida and Puerto Rico, "it was very hot; it was very humid, and that helped us be prepared for what it's going to be like there."

Calbeto also said the bye will give the team an extra day to nurse injuries that have cropped up toward the end of the year.

"We're trying to get better physically," Calbeto said, noting that several players, including junior Erin Watkins, sophomore Lauren Little and freshman Kylie Moore, were hurt for the team's last two regular-season matches. "That's going to be a lot different for us (once those players return)."

Bronson said Moore, who has not played since March 24, recently began hitting balls again and that the others will be evaluated as the week goes on.

"We'll take a look at Lauren and Erin (Wednesday) to see where they're at," Bronson said. "We're doing everything we can to get them ready to go."

Bronson also said after a moderate practice Tuesday to shake any jet lag and a heavy session Wednesday, the team will take it easy Thursday to rest for Friday's game.

Since winning the Conference USA tournament and making its third-straight NCAA tournament appearance in 1999, the team has gone 64-120. Calbeto said the team is heading into the tournament with the intention of marking a turning point in the program for the better.

"We're trying to be positive about everything," Calbeto said. "We know that we have a big chance."

Big East Championship preview

Favorite — Notre Dame (23-2): Women's hoops fans can think of them as "the UConn of women's tennis." UConn women's tennis fans can think of them as "a hell of a lot better than our team." Whatever your angle, the Irish are the only nationally-ranked team in the Big East (No. 2 behind three-time defending champion Stanford), haven't lost to an unranked opponent in 74 consecutive matches dating back to February 1994 and are 38-2 all-time against the rest of the conference's current members.

Sleeper — South Florida (12-7): When, you ask, can a No. 2 seed appropriately be tabbed a "sleeper?" When only two of the top four seeds are over .500; that's when. With two top-50 singles players in Shadisha Robinson (No. 33) and Courtney Vernon (No. 44), as well as No. 38 doubles pair Robinson and Gabriela Duch and a relatively clear path to another conference title game, the Bulls could make some noise at home.

Players to watch — Notre Dame's No. 8-ranked doubles duo of twin sisters Christian and Catrina Thompson dismantled opponents this spring, posting a 17-5 record. The Thompsons, who posted an 8-1 win over Marquette juniors Shannon Brown and Maria Calbeto in the No. 1 doubles slot Sunday, would be a headache for the Golden Eagles if a possible semifinal match-up materialized.