It's been a season of adjustments for Olga Fischer. The freshman from Berlin, Germany has spent the year with her teammates learning about a new country, new culture and her craft — tennis. That sounds overwhelming for many, but she has taken the challenge in stride.

"I think she's handling the transition well, both tennis-wise and academically," coach Jody Bronson said. "I think she's very comfortable with the system here and the team. I think she's a great example for everybody. She works hard and she's a real competitor.

"I think one of the things that has made her so successful is she really doesn't beat her self much. That opponent has to come out and beat her."

Taking down Fischer hasn't exactly been the easiest task for the opposition this year. Leading the Marquette women in wins, she has a dual record of 16-8, which includes a 12-5 effort at No. 2 singles. Even more impressive is the 10-game win streak she was able to accumulate during the season, culminating with a critical point in a 4-3 road win over conference rival Rutgers. The early success has been important to her.

"It means a lot because it's only my first year," Fischer said. "I tried my best, and I'm glad that I did a good job for the team. I will continue to improve next semester."

The freshman has also spent a lot of time off the court getting to know her new teammates.

"They are like my second family. I feel very at home with them," she said. And as invaluable as they have been to Fischer's growth, her play has been just as important to her teammates.

"Olga has had a lot of adjustments coming from Germany — working on her game and getting used to our culture," said senior Robin Metzler. "She's been great getting used to everyone off the court, and she's had a lot of wins, too. She's great as a teammate."

Coming off a 4-3 win Monday at Stetson, the team heads into the Big East Championships this weekend with an overall record of 16-8. The Golden Eagles captured the fourth seed in the tournament and await the winner of Thursday's Connecticut-Rutgers match. Marquette easily defeated the Huskies 7-0 on March 1 and tallied an impressive 4-3 road victory against the Scarlet Knights on Feb. 22. With Rutgers likely being the team Marquette will face Friday, coach Bronson stressed the importance of guarded confidence heading into the match.

"I feel confident (about the match) if we play well," Bronson said. "We had a tough match with Rutgers and just pulled it out 4-3, so we're going to have our hands full with them."

For Metzler, the only senior on Bronson's squad, the weekend marks the end of her tennis career at Marquette. She has mentored her younger teammates all year long but isn't quite done yet.

"It means a lot," she said. "I just want to go out there and play well, and I hope our team does well.

"I want to lead like I have all season. Hopefully we'll come out with the victory."

The team just spent a week in Florida, but make no mistake — it was no vacation. For now, however, the Golden Eagles must wait patiently until Friday.

"I think we're excited about being the fourth seed, and we're anxious for the tournament to start," Bronson said. "We'll be ready."