Watch “Captain, Mom, Legend – Niverka Marte’s Most Powerful VNL” now on VBTV

The longtime captain of the Dominican Republic women’s national team, Niverka Marte has been through a little bit of everything while representing Las Reinas del Caribe (The Queens of the Caribbean, in Spanish) around the world since 2008.

The Volleyball Nations League 2025, however, has been bringing an entirely new experience for the 34-year-old setter, who has competed in the first two weeks of the tournament while expecting her first baby. Her journey of continuing her volleyball career while pregnant has been portrayed on VBTV’s latest production, “Captain, Mom, Legend – Niverka Marte’s Most Powerful VNL”, which is now available on the platform.

• Watch "Captain, Mom, Legend - Niverka Marte's Most Powerful VNL" on VBTV

From discovering her unexpected pregnancy still during the club season in Greece to making the decision to continue playing through it and to be with the Dominican national team in the VNL 2025, the veteran playmaker has been enjoying herself as she celebrates a moment she had been expecting for a long time.

“It was like getting the best news ever and not expecting it,” Marte said. “I was walking on the streets, so happy, everything was perfect. I’m very happy and I want to share it with everyone.”

After sharing the news with Dominican coach Marcos Kwiek, Marte made clear she wanted to continue to play for as long as she felt comfortable. Her teammates’ reaction was the best possible, as they not only got happy for the special moment in her captain’s life, but also embraced her, making sure she’s always taken care of and that she’s feeling well during trips, practices and matches.

The still unusual scene of watching a pregnant woman playing professional sports, however, also led Marte to deal with some unpleasant messages and comments from people who thought she should stop her career while expecting her baby.

“I feel normal, so I didn’t see the point in just stopping my life because I’m pregnant,” she added. “It’s new to me being pregnant, but I don’t feel different. Some of my teammates were worried at first because they really care about me, but I feel really protected by them. Unfortunately, I also hear some comments from people who were never in my life but think they have the right to tell me what to do. When I hear those comments, I just close my ears and keep doing what I think I should do. I don’t want them to come inside me.”

Marte is not the first woman to play sports while pregnant, and she doesn’t want to be known or recognized simply for doing what she wanted to do. But she has an important message to share with people following her journey in the VNL 2025 and in life.

“I didn’t want to be an inspiration for anyone because this is something really personal,” she added. “Everyone is different, and I’d just like people to be brave and to do what they think is best for them. And that’s the same thing I wish for my daughter, that she has her own voice and makes the decisions in her life.”

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