The Cuban men’s volleyball team faces Germany today at the start of Pool Six in the second week of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), hosted in Belgrade. They aim to improve upon their underwhelming performance in the first week in Rio de Janeiro.
In the Brazilian city, Jesús Cruz’s squad closed with a 3-2 victory against the hosts but suffered three defeats to Slovenia (1-3), Ukraine (2-3), and the United States (1-3). Today (Wednesday) they meet the German team, followed by hosts Serbia (Thursday), the Netherlands (Friday), and Argentina (Sunday), with Saturday as a rest day.
Undoubtedly, the match against the Germans will be challenging—not only due to their quality but also because of logistical issues for the Cubans travelling to Belgrade. The squad arrived in two groups, with the second landing practically against the clock for the match.
Six players departed first, while eight—including outside hitters Marlon Yant and Miguel Ángel López, middle blocker Javier Concepción, and head coach Jesús Cruz—left on Monday, transiting via Turkey during the lengthy journey.
Cuba currently ranks 15th in the overall VNL standings with a negative record (1 win, 3 losses), while Germany sits 13th (1-3). Serbia is 18th (1-3), the Netherlands 17th (1-3), and Argentina 12th (2-2).
The roster for Belgrade is largely unchanged from Rio de Janeiro. The only substitution announced is opposite hitter Alejandro Miguel González replaced by middle blocker Thiago Suárez, who can also play as opposite.
Suárez (also over two metres tall) excelled in the Romanian League, while González played in the Czech Republic League. Both are part of the squad preparing for the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay (9–23 August).
After Belgrade, the Cubans will briefly stay in Serbia and France (for a friendly match) before travelling to Gdańsk for their third and final week of the VNL preliminary round.
In Rio, standout performances came from outside hitter Marlon Yant (top scorer and attacker), libero Yonder García (2nd in reception, 6th in defence), and middle blocker Javier Concepción (7th in blocking).
The 14-player squad for Week 2 includes opposites José Massó and Yonder Bisset; setters Christian Thondike and Julio Alberto Gómez; auxiliary hitters Miguel Ángel López, Osniel Mergarejo, and José Miguel Gutiérrez; middle blockers Roamy Alonso and David Fiel; and libero Brayan Camino.
Germany defeated Cuba 3-0 in the 2023 VNL, but Cuba avenged this 3-1 in 2024. Experts still anticipate a competitive match despite the Cubans’ disrupted travel.
Serbia has beaten Cruz’s team twice (both in five sets), while the Netherlands won in 2023 (3-0) and 2024 (3-1). Argentina did not face Cuba in the last two editions but won two pre-tournament friendlies before Week 1.
As previously announced, world-class middle blocker Robertlandy Simón will join the team in Week 3 and is currently training in Havana.
Though Cuba aims to finish in the top eight of the VNL, their primary focus for 2024 remains September’s World Championship in the Philippines.
