Siena Heights senior setter Carly Tillotson has accomplished a lot in her time as a member of the women’s volleyball team, but she was unaware of the milestone she reached on Sept. 12 in the Saints’ 3-0 victory over Michigan-Dearborn.

Following a set by Tillotson that was killed by teammate Taylor Felver, Tillotson officially became the first women’s volleyball player in school history to reach 3,000 assists.

“I had no idea that I was even close to 3,000 assists,” Tillotson said. “I didn’t even know I did it or that it was a big deal until people started congratulating me. It’s pretty exciting, but I would have never got there if it wasn’t for my team and the great hitters we have.”

For Tillotson, it’s never been about breaking records, but rather putting her best foot forward day in and day out.

“My goal has always been to do the best I can,” she said. “The milestone is great, but I never really came to Siena Heights expecting to do that.”

Tillotson credits a lot of her success to her coaches and had high praise for Coach Berrington, who is making her inaugural head coaching debut with the Saints this season.

“Coach Berrington’s impact for this team has been huge,” Tillotson said. “She sets high expectations for all of us, and we have learned so much from her. She expects us to be good players in addition to good teammates and students.”

In a team without juniors, Tillotson hopes her senior leadership can help lead the undergraduate students to great things in the near future.

“I really want the team to keep doing well after this year,” she said. “I just want to focus on being the best I can and set a good example for the underclassmen. It’s a very young team, and the underclassmen are very talented. This should be an interesting team to watch for years to come.”

While Tillotson is positive her leadership can help pave the way for undergraduates in the upcoming seasons, there is no doubt she has left her own mark in SHU women’s volleyball history by becoming the first player to reach the 3,000 assist mark.