31/03/2015 12:49
Getting to know: DRESDNER SC’s setter Molly Kreklow
News from the clubs
Dresden, Germany, March 31, 2015. They have been cheering, were jumping for joy, but have also been crying: the players of DRESDNER SC have gone through thrilling weeks during the last few months. However, the most exciting time of the season has just started: the battle for the crown in Germany’s Bundesliga.
The American setter of DRESDNER SC, Molly Kreklow and her teammates have reached the semifinals in impressive fashion after winning two times against Rote Raben VILSBIBURG in the quarterfinals. The American setter is spending her first season overseas but has been playing an important role in the team of the acting German champions. Now Molly Kreklow looks forward to the semifinals in the Bundesliga, sharing her secrets and match-rituals.
“We have the chance to defend the title, but we have to work hard. Even though we have so many great players, every team can beat us if we are not focused one hundred percent,” says the 22-year-old American.
Molly Kreklow is setting the ball since this season for DRESDNER SC and has already made some teams dizzy in the Champions League. “For my personal development Dresden is the best that could happen to me. There were ups and downs, but I have learnt a lot and evolved myself. In December I could not perform as good as I hoped. But in January and February I made a big step forward,” she reckons.
No matter which team DRESDNER SC will face in the upcoming play-off matches, Molly knows what is most important in order to accomplish the mission ‘title defence’: “We should not make the games into something special. It helped us a lot that we could just play as a team and have fun together during the season. That is why we did perform so well. I do not feel any pressure and that is very important. Because pressure makes you vulnerable and then we cannot play our best,” knows the setter.
You can always sense the spirit of the international player. She plays every game with positive emotions. In the Margon Arena, the home of DRESDNER SC, she sits alone on the bleachers before every home game and listens to music. She also prays in the dressing room. “These rituals help me to focus for the game. They bring up my prevailing mood, too. I love this sport so much, I just want to enjoy myself, whenever I am on the court,” explains Molly.
She already knows that she will be a member of American national team this summer. Afterwards it is on her whether she can prove herself against the other two setters Alisha Glass and Courtney Thompson who won gold at the FIVB World Championship in Italy last year. Molly was left out of the final roster shortly before the tournament. A proof that she is close to the top. The American national coach Karch Kiraly has noticed her convincing performances in the German league and in the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League as well.
However, before she plays for her country, she wants to win the German Championship with DRESDNER SC. “It is great that we have the experience we made during the season. The team has grown together and we count on each other. I hope this will be a big advantage for us,” she says.
Molly knows that especially the home field advantage will have a positive impact on the squad. “Our fans are incredible. They are the best fans in the world. At the first play-off game against Rote Raben we felt a very special energy within the arena. My friends, who play at other clubs in Germany, love the atmosphere in the Margon Arena as well. We should enjoy every game, have fun at all times and together as a team we can bring the best performance on the court. At the end, we have a big opportunity to be at the top,” she concludes.
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