Molly Kreklow (6), celebrates a point with her Team USA teammates. (photo/USA Volleyball/Tom Kimmell)
Former Mizzou All-American setter and SEC Player of the Year Molly Kreklow wrapped up play at the NORCECA World Championships Qualifier with Team USA, by finishing with a 4-0 record while not dropping a single set in the tournament. Kreklow started six of the 12 sets played by Team USA, including all three in the Gold Medal match against Panama, which Team USA won, 25-18, 25-5, 25-5.
Kreklow scored six total points in the four matches with five aces and a block. She also averaged 3.08 running sets per frame (sets where hitters have zero or one blocker up). In her first match against Guatemala, she tallied an ace and a block with 10 of 17 running sets scored as ‘excellent.’ Team USA won that match, 25-10, 25-18, 25-11, as Kreklow started all three sets.
In match two against Panama, Kreklow started the first set and led Team USA to a 25-16, 25-12, 25-9, win. Kreklow did not play in the third match against Honduras as head coach David Hunt decided to start setter Lauren Plum to get her some time. But Kreklow got the call in the Gold Medal Match against Panama, starting all three sets while leading the team to a 25-18, 25-5, 25-5 win, clinching the Gold Medal. She had three aces in that match to go along with 17 running sets and 33 still sets. She guided team USA to .557 hitting in the Gold Medal Match.
