No team is as good as it looks when it wins, nor as bad as it looks when it loses. That old sports adage fits perfectly with the Cuban men’s team volleyballwhich has had two very different weeks in the Nations League (VNL). Were we really at a super elite level for defeating Brazil or for withstanding five sets against Japan? The answer is a definit no. Are we really so bad that we can’t beat Canada for the umpteenth time and we collapse in several games due to the absence of our star? Neither. Are we invincible for beating the current Olympic champions? A lot less.
However, the island’s fans and specialists, sometimes too passionate, tend to go to extremes with the national team, without taking into account the damage they do. Neither the triumphalist speeches when they win nor the inquisitive looks when they lose are positive, but it is a formula that is repeated over and over again to the misfortune of a team that, certainly, is still seeking stability in its game. The worst thing is that the accusations always fall on the players and few dare to question everything that surrounds the team.
For example, Before starting the second week of the VNL, the Cubans made a tormenting trip from Varadero to Ottawa, with more than ten hours of layover at a Canadian airport. There they were hit by the cold and, as a consequence, several men played the games on Canadian soil with fever and flu, while Robertlandy Simón accused back discomfort that prevented him from taking the field in three very important duels.
The combination of all factors led to indisputable defeats against Canada, the Netherlands and Italy, rivals who, without a superlative performance, managed to take the colors of the team led by Jesús Cruz. As we already said, Simón’s absence was fatal, due to his impact on the game, his leadership and his contribution on a statistical level. To have an idea, Roamy Alonso and José Massó, his substitutes, only scored four points with the block in three challenges, a contribution that was too low, although in the case of Massó he played an entire game after a sprained ankle that did not leave him nor sleep.
In any case, the absence of Simón greatly reduced the effectiveness of the defense on the net, not only because of the points in the block, but also because of the containment of shots to give way to counterattacks. However, beyond the emotional blow of losing Simón, The Cuban team collapsed in sections that did not depend on the presence of the experienced center back.
Passer Christian Thondike was not at the same level as the first week, he abused high passes and did not distribute with the same clarity; Libero Yonder García was bombarded at crucial moments and his response in the reception was not the best; The field defense was not well placed, and there was a lack of concentration and determination to face the closures of most of the sets.
The good news is that, despite all these setbacks, the team managed to reconnect in the last match of the week against France, the current Olympic champion. Although the Gauls oxygenated their squad and brought out several substitutes, Those from Cuba managed to come back from a game that they lost 1-2, supported largely by the five blocks of Simón, who played at half speed, and the choral contribution of Marlon Yant, Miguel Ángel López and Osniel Mergarejo. This trident ended up forming a four-man receiving line with the libero Yonder, without a fixed opposite, although in the end López fell to that position as he had already done in other international tournaments a few years ago.
The victory against France revived the Antillean squad, which found water in the desert with 9.55 points for the ranking. In this way, and after the results of Serbia (they won two out of four in Ottawa), they were separated by a very narrow margin: 251.55 units for the Balkans and 250.64 for the Caribbeans. Cuba lost 10.53 points in the ranking after these four games, while the Serbians gained 13.04 pointsenough to erase the difference of 22.66 units that those from the Island obtained in the first week.
The table is then set for the definition of the last round in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where the actions will begin with a thrilling duel between Cuba and Serbia. This clash will have double value for both squads, with options for the winner of getting a minimum of ten points in the ranking. Who comes out favorite? This is a difficult question to answer, but the Serbs will have more time to prepare due to the disastrous travel planning of the Cuban Federation, which will once again place the team on a long journey with no room for recovery.
Who stops Melisa Vargas?
The volleyball players of the national team are not the only Cubans who compete in the VNL. For example, Yoandy Leal has scored at least 16 points in four of the five games he has played under the Brazilian flag, with a maximum of 22 last Saturday against the powerful Poles. The assistant also scored 17 cards for the Italian world champions and 19 for Cuba at the start of the tournament. Nevertheless, The great Cuban figure in this competition is, once again, Melissa Vargas.
The phenomenal 24-year-old opposite averages 23.8 points per game in her first eight duels of the competition with the Turkey shirt, a team she has represented since last year. There were doubts about Melisa’s condition after suffering a shoulder injury at the end of 2023but he has recovered perfectly and continues to support a high volume of balls per game without reducing the effectiveness or power of his actions.
In this edition of the VNL it has mercilessly punished the rivals with the following scores: Japan (12), Netherlands (27), Italy (33), France (18), Germany (23), Serbia (31), South Korea (16) and the United States (27). This performance places her as the top scorer of the contest with 187 points, more than 20 ahead of the Japanese Sarina Koga (161) and the Canadian Kiera Van Ryk (153). Melisa Vargas is also a leader in attack (162 cards for that concept) and second in service (12 aces), only surpassed by the German Camilla Weitzel.
Turkey is in fifth position in the VNL 2024 and is aiming for the final in Bangkok, which will be played from June 20 to 23. However, the team’s big goal is the Paris Olympic Games, where it could continue its triumphant streak of 2023, when it won the VNL and European Championship titles. Like last year, Melisa Vargas’ contribution will be essential to climb to the top of Olympus.
