Between the Yellow Tigers’ friendly internationals — valuable evaluation moments for head coach Kris Vansnick — Charlotte Krenicky takes stock. At 25, the setter has already built an impressive career. After her double triumphs with Asterix Avo (two league titles and two cups), she won the German Supercup with Stuttgart and the Romanian Cup with Blaj. Add to that the international honours with the national team, and rumours about her next challenge being in the demanding Polish league sound more than plausible. A conversation about life abroad, the physical toll of volleyball and the evolution of a setter.

“Asterix Avo was the best team to close out my time in Belgium,” Krenicky smiles. “The memories are great. After two years, I was ready to make the move abroad. Stuttgart was a very beautiful experience. The German league is really interesting and the atmosphere is unlike anything else. It’s just incredible, it gives you so much energy, and on top of that I was in a really nice team. There were some age differences between the players, but we functioned almost like a real family and looked after each other perfectly.”

“Then came Blaj in Romania. A different dynamic, also very enjoyable. I’ve actually been lucky to end up in good groups each time. Sportingly, Romania was another success as well, with a cup win, although the title just slipped through our fingers. The play-offs there were played in a punishing best-of-five format with double weekends. Playing two consecutive days at that level placed too heavy a physical load on some players.”

Challenges
“I really like challenges in different countries. I enjoy it, and I think I’ve always adapted quite smoothly. I adjust fairly easily. Different volleyball cultures and tactical systems sharpen your ability to adapt. My ambition is simple: to keep testing myself in leagues where the tempo is higher and the physical demands are greater. I always want to get the best out of myself. That also applies to the Yellow Tigers, where three setters are currently competing. Each with a specific profile. It only gives the coach more tactical options.”

The road to the European sub-top was not without setbacks, however. For two seasons Krenicky dealt with injuries. Torn ligaments in her right wrist, followed by a fracture in her left wrist after a last-ditch defensive action. For a setter, that is the absolute nightmare, because all the fine touch in setting disappears.

“Top sport is harsh. The constant process of rehab, rebuilding individually and rejoining team training takes a lot of energy. You lose match rhythm every time. But I’m a fighter. My wrists are holding up well, my knees sometimes complain a little, but mentally and physically I feel fully ready to perform at the highest level again.”

Volleyball Nations League
With the demanding Volleyball Nations League (VNL) just around the corner, there is hardly any room for experimentation. The FIVB’s current ranking system turns every set and every match into a mathematical survival battle for world-ranking points.

“There’s no room to experiment,” Krenicky explains. “Every match has to be taken fully seriously. We need to collect points against direct rivals and try to pull off upsets against the top nations. We suit that outsider role quite well. We’ve already proven several times that we can hurt the world’s best teams. The real bottleneck, though, will be the logistical and physical load. Back-to-back tournaments in China, Turkey and Hong Kong, combined with exhausting intercontinental flights, require a perfect recovery strategy.”

The Tigers’ squad is continuing to evolve as well. Silke Van Avermaet is taking a short break this summer, the price of elite sport. Other players are stepping forward. Krenicky now shares a room with Lise Verhelst, who already got a taste of the senior level last year and is continuing to make her mark in the squad. The group’s goal remains unchanged: keep the rotation options wide, get better every day, collect points and grow together as a team.

For Krenicky herself, the most important phase of her career is now beginning. “I’m 25. For a setter, this is when the period of real tactical maturity starts. You read situations faster, setting at the net becomes more instinctive because you recognise patterns after all those years of hard work. Experience starts to pay off. Let’s do this.”

Text: Walter Vereeck
Photo: Rudy Pollé