COLUMN: Will ghost of Heather past haunt V-ball?

Heather Tillet's success replacing Heather Glick is key In Feeney's system, the setter runs the offense as a quarterback does in football: she calls and directs the plays, and, when things are clicking, the setter is in firm control of the action on the floor. No one ran the Penn attack better than Glick, who is now playing professionally in France. In her four years as a Quaker, Glick racked up 3,584 assists. So good was Glick that, according to Feeney, she was worth three or four points each game. Feeney knew that one day she wouldn't be able to rely on her ace, so she has been preparing for this day. Tillet got plenty of reps in practice even with Glick ahead of her on the depth chart, and the elder Heather worked with the younger Heather in the spring to fine tune her technique. Of course that is all fine and good, but it does not substitute for live game action. "The biggest question mark is how long it will take her to feel comfortable, and that's just going to come through match play," Feeney said. In an ideal world, Tillet would have received a lot of court time last year in preparation, but for a variety of reasons that did not happen. Tillet played in just five games, although she performed well (58 assists and 17 digs) in her limited action. Initially, Feeney wanted Glick to break Penn's all-time assist record. Glick needed 931 more assists at the beginning of her senior year to break the mark. While that was a good bet going into the campaign (she recorded 988 the year before), it was in no way a sure thing. But the real reason for Tillet's lack of floor time, Feeney concedes, is that the Quakers "played so inconsistently," they needed Heather Glick on the court. Glick won't be there anymore, and Feeney has been been busy getting Tillet up to par. Right now, the coach says, Tillet is going through "growing pains" and has technical adjustments to make. In the early going, Feeney admits, "we may take our lumps." One might suspect the biggest challenge for Tillet may not be the technical adjustments, but rather the pressure of being a focal point of the team after being merely a footnote the past two years. And the fact that she's coming after one of the top player in Pennsylvania volleyball history cannot make things any easier. Tillet, however, rejects this premise. "I don't know if I call it pressure," Tillet said. "Glick was a great mentor for me and helped me a lot. I feel confident in myself." Tillet shows this confidence on the court by taking control verbally during games. Feeney believes she is an even better communicator than Glick was on the court. And at 5-foot-6, Tillet is also a bit taller than Glick, which is usually an advantage in volleyball. But comparing Tillet to Glick is not really fair. Glick was the focal point of the team her four years, while Tillet is just one of many lights. Tillet is not expected to carry the team like Glick was, and other players will have to elevate their games if Penn is going to compete for the Ivy title. And maybe the lack of a superstar will actually help the Quakers as they can no longer rely on one player to carry them through their struggles. After all, for all of Glick's accolades, Penn did not win an Ivy title in her tenure. One thing is certain -- Tillet is anxious to make her mark. "I feel like I've had two years to sit back and observe?" Tillet said. "I'm ready to step up."

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