Markus Mol following in his big brothers’ footsteps
News
Anders and Hendrik Mol are well-known faces in international beach volleyball, but they are no longer the only members of the popular Norwegian family to test themselves against the elite of the sport. The next Mol in line, 20-year-old Markus, is getting a glimpse of what’s to come in his career this week, as he competes at the Queen & King of the Court European Finals 2022 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
A silver medalist at the U20 EuroBeachVolley last season, Markus started competing internationally with more regularity this season, playing in seven different Beach Pro Tour Futures events in Europe with three different partners. The left-handed blocker had the highlight of his season so far just two days before getting on the court in Utrecht, as Jo Sunde and him took gold in Warsaw, Poland.
Markus Mol“It feels really good to be competing internationally. It’s what I’ve been waiting for since I saw Hendrik and Anders play for the first time. It was a good tournament for us in Warsaw and it was so much fun to play. We had very few points at the start of the season, so we prepared in the summer for when we had the chance to play some Futures. We’ve been improving in each tournament and it was nice to finish with the gold medal. Now we’re looking forward to stepping up to the Challenger level.”
Norwegian Beach Volleyball Player
Although his path to the elite of the sport might be similar to the ones of other players of his age in terms of fighting for ranking points, Markus’ journey is, however, pretty unique and impossible to replicate.
Being the younger brother of the 25-year-old Anders, who is the reigning Olympic and world champion, a four-time EuroBeachVolley winner and considered by many as one of the best to ever play the sport, brings a mixed bag of unique opportunities and increased pressure.
Markus prefers to focus on the positives and to see the glass half full.
Markus Mol“I like to think it gives me a lot of opportunities. And it’s incredibly motivating to be with them and get an insight into what needs to be done to be a good player and also the confidence that I can get to that level. I am very lucky to be able to train with and learn from one of the best teams in the world. Of course it’s very easy to compare myself to my brothers and I feel that pressure a bit. But I know that with good training and the right mentality, anything is possible.”
Norwegian Beach Volleyball Player
Markus is the third oldest Mol, behind Hendrik (28) and Anders (25). After him, come Adrian (17) and Sofia (16), who have both only competed at continental Age Group tournaments so far. The clan is coached by their father, Kare, and also counts on the support of their mother Merita, a beach volleyball Olympian and EuroBeachVolley silver medalist in 1995.
The familiar environment brings a friendly atmosphere to their daily routine, which includes training sessions together and never-ending beach volleyball conversations.
Markus Mol“Our relationship is very good. We train together very often and we share the same interest and passion for the sport. They show great interest in my career and share their opinions and experiences with me.”
Norwegian Beach Volleyball Player
Markus and partner Sven Solhaug survived the first day of the qualifier of the Queen & King of the Court European Finals and are among the ten men’s teams that will be back on the court on Wednesday to compete for the final two main draw spots. Israel’s River Day/Kevin Cuzmiciov, Austria’s Paul Pascariuc/Laurenz Leitner and Sweden’s Joel Andersson/Alfred Brink claimed the first three berths as they won their pools.
Markus Mol“This is my first time playing King of the Court and I’m very excited. It’s a completely different way of playing beach volleyball and it’s been fun. I think it’s always fun to challenge better teams and I always learn a lot from it.”
Norwegian Beach Volleyball Player
On the women’s side, the three qualification pool winners, who are now guaranteed in the main draw, are Poland’s Jagoda Gruszczynska/Aleksandra Wachowicz, Ukraine’s Inna Makhno/Iryna Makhno and Lithuania’s Ieva Dumbauskaite/Gerda Grudzinskaite. Ten other duos will be back on the court on Wednesday to play for the remaining two spots.
Inna Makhno“We’ve played in two Queen of the Court tournaments before, so we knew what to expect a little bit and we came here with a positive feeling. And it feels great to be in the main draw.”
Ukrainian Beach Volleyball Player
Besides the conclusion of qualification, Wednesday’s schedule in Utrecht will also include the start of the main draw, with men’s and women’s teams from Pools A and B getting on the court in the Dutch city.
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