Those looking on from the outside could be under the impression that the Dominican Republic women’s national team will be contending with a significant rebuilding process during the 2022 Volleyball Nations League.
VNL 2022
Dominicans trust the process as young players replace departed veterans
The Caribbean nation's team looks ahead to a smooth transition
Published 02:00, 03 Jun 2022
The Martinez sisters Jineiry and Brayelin will play a big role in the future of the Dominican national team
Longtime team staples Prisilla Rivera (outside hitter) and Annerys Vargas (middle blocker) left the national programme at the end of the 2021 season, as did utility player Lisvel Eve. Veteran outside hitter Bethania De La Cruz and star libero Brenda Castillo were both granted time off after the club season and are not with the team yet.
From the core that competed at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, the Martinez sisters Brayelin (opposite) and Jineiry (middle blocker) and setter and new captain Niverka Marte are the only starters to be with the team for the start of the VNL. And yet, head coach Marcos Kwiek insists, not everything has changed in the team.
“I wouldn’t call it a rebuild,” he told Volleyball World. “The way our national team system works, we’re always welcoming young, up-and-coming players into the squad. Some of the ladies that are part of our roster for the VNL might not have played a lot in the bigger tournaments in the past, but they’ve been with the team for a while and are used to training with us. And now they will have an opportunity to step up for us.”
Kwiek named outside hitters Yonkaira Pena and Madeline Guillen, opposite Gaila Gonzalez and liberos Yaneirys Rodriguez and Larysmer Martinez as some of the players who could have more time on the court in the VNL this season.
The coach acknowledges, however, that even if all of them respond well, there will always be challenges when entering such an important season without the likes of Rivera, who captained the team for the last six seasons, and Vargas, who had been in the squad for most of the last 20 years.
“Any team in the world would miss players like them,” said Kwiek. “The two brought a lot of experience to our team. We’ll miss them, and it couldn’t be any different, but we know that the only way to remain competitive without them is by working even harder.”
In his 14th year ahead of the Dominican national team, Kwiek will give younger players more opportunities to shine
Changes could also take place in the team’s playing system. The Dominicans, who earned the nickname ‘Reinas del Caribe’ (Queens of the Caribbean, in Spanish) for their success in the NORCECA region over the years, have long been characterized by their powerful offence and the physicality of their players.
The essence of the Dominican game is not expected to change drastically, but with a new generation coming in, Kwiek, who’s been in charge of the team since 2008, says he’s open to making adjustments in order to get the best out of each of the players in the team.
“We always try to build our playing system according to our players,” Kwiek explained. “We have our identity as a team and our goal over the years has been to continue refining it and, above anything, improving technically and reducing the number of mistakes we make, which are two things that have held us back a little bit. We’re always very flexible and open to adjusting the system and our goal is to find the one that puts the players in the best possible position to perform.”
Another challenge the Dominicans will face this season, the coach says, will be to preserve or improve their current seventh-place in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Rankings. With the rankings carrying greater weight in the qualification process for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Caribbeans know every single match will matter as they try to secure their second-straight and fourth overall Olympic qualification.
“The VNL and this year’s World Championships will be pivotal for us,” he added. “We know that having a good position in the world rankings will be instrumental in the Olympic qualification process and the best way to achieve our goals is to perform well in the big events. It will be a very tough battle for the Paris Olympic berths. I’d say we’re in the second tier of international volleyball right now and hopefully we can keep performing and improving, even with some new faces on the team.”
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