Volleyball
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
- Hometown:
- 2017 (Sixth Season)
- Year at Mizzou:
- Delano, Minn.
- Alma Mater:
- Missouri, 2013
- Email:
- mtaylor@mail.missouri.edu
Molly Taylor (Kreklow) enters her sixth season on the Mizzou Volleyball staff. Taylor specializes in setting instruction for the Tigers, while assisting with offensive game planning. Taylor, a former U.S. National Team member and 2013 AVCA first team All-American, originally joined the Mizzou staff as a volunteer assistant coach on Feb. 8, 2017.
In the 2020 season, Taylor guided setter Andrea Fuentes to All-SEC honors for the second consecutive season. Under Taylor’s tutelage, Fuentes set the Tigers to a .265 hitting percentage, one of the top 10 marks in program history. Fuentes finished her Mizzou career with 3,088 assists, becoming just the seventh Tiger to eclipse the 3K plateau. Her 10.19 career assists per set rank fifth in program history.
For the 2019 campaign, Taylor oversaw Andrea Fuentes' maturation into one of the NCAA and SEC's premier setters. Fuentes finished the season with 11.77 assists per set and 1,306 total assists, ranking fifth and 18th in the nation, respectively. The San Juan native was named All-SEC for the first time in her career, while tallying five SEC Setter of the Week awards and three SEC Overall Player of the Week accolades. In the final week of the regular season, Fuentes was tabbed the Sports Imports / AVCA Division I National Player of the Week, becoming the seventh all-time Tiger to receive the prestigious award.
In her first year as a Mizzou volunteer assistant coach, Taylor helped guide the 2017 Tigers to their second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Mizzou concluded its campaign ranked top 20 in the final AVCA Division I Coaches poll in back to back seasons for the first time in program history. The 2018 campaign in Mid-Missouri was another successful one, as the Tigers reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
As one of the Tigers’ leading offensive instructors, the team finished 20th in the nation with 1,726 total kills. Leading the charge with the team’s setters, Taylor helped guide Mizzou to 1,602 total assists, ranking 23rd in the NCAA.
Taylor excelled in both the collegiate and professional volleyball ranks from 2010-17. From 2014-16, the Delano, Minnesota, native competed with the U.S. National Team at the FIVB World Cup and Grand Prixs. She captured a pair of bronze medals at the 2014-15 World Cups and a championship at the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix.
At the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix, Taylor was sensational for Team USA, earning “Best Setter” honors. Led by her impressive performance, Team USA collectively recorded an outstanding .293 hitting percentage at the event. Later that year, Taylor received USA Volleyball’s “Female Indoor Most Improved Player of the Year” award.
From 2014-16, Taylor gained further professional playing experience overseas. She performed at the highest level on the court with three organizations – Dresdner SC (Dresden, Germany), Eczacibasi Vitra (Istanbul, Turkey) and Liu Jo Nordmeccanica Modena (Modena, Italy) – highlighted by a 2015 Bundesliga Championship with Dresdner.
From 2010-13, Taylor solidified herself as one of the top players in Mizzou Volleyball history. During her 2013 senior campaign, Taylor led the Tigers to a perfect 34-0 regular season record and the program’s first-ever SEC Championship. She finished the memorable season with 1,480 assists, aiding the team’s record setting .356 hitting percentage.
At the conclusion of the 2013 campaign, Taylor was awarded AVCA First Team All-American and SEC Player of the Year honors. Over her four-year career in Mid-Missouri, Taylor accumulated 5,366 assists, ranking second all-time in program history.
Taylor received a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences in Dec. 2013 from the University of Missouri. She shined academically while in Columbia, Missouri, receiving Missouri Dean’s List recognition in each semester at the university.
Taylor married current Mizzou Volleyball head coach, Joshua Taylor, in Feb. 2017. The two reside in Columbia, Missouri.
