The lethargy that plunges the Cuban women’s volleyball sometimes becomes undisturbed. It reflects the stretched and perpetual shadow of previous generations who drilled the past to stay for life at present. This new fraternity will carry on its shoulders the weight of too robust for its attributes.
It will have to bear the harassment of judgments about a myth seen from afar. An absence raving without limits and acknowledges the tedium of those who once felt proud to have it as the best team in the world.
The truth is that today, the national team does nothing but bringing nostalgia, reminding us of what was done by its predecessors. They must try to achieve new times with different results from the current ones.
They changed their system from 4-2 (6-2 in reality because they all attacked) to 5-1, burying a legacy, a story, the idiosyncrasies of a revolutionary and unique team of its time. The reason? Finding the offensive that has stubbornly remained imperceptible. Talent is boomerang, the waning explosion and the offenses to rivals extinct. It’s clearly another generation, even away from the agonizing final moments of a cycle.
The 2004 Athens Olympic bronze is the beginning of the end of an era jealously guarded by history. For some this medal foretold the emergence of a new crop of girls capable of supporting a myth. The thrilling final of the Pan Rio 2007 Games would feed the nostalgia, but few believe that after such a staging, this would be the last time you saw a generation of spectacular Morenas del Caribe.
After that game full of emotions, the protagonists of the work of the project decided to go out one by one, once the Beijing Olympic cycle was over, and left the team filled with support actresses. Almost all the talent in the squad was gone, key players were gradually stepping aside.
Today’s reality is hard, the national team is hungry for talent, urged of regaining the old verve, the skill crushed by time. The latest batch is still active and even some of them are among the most portentous universal players. Foreign leagues of the highest ranking have welcomed them, they are struggling in dissimilar latitudes, under the seal of clubs that have grabbed timely that talent.
In Europe, the Cubans have built their franchise, are part of major clubs and have taken over the top of many of the statistics of the leagues in the continent.
In the latest versions of the Cuban 4-2, Liana Mesa has arrived in Germany to provide passes and mock blockers with mid height assist. The auxiliary receiving Mayvelis Martinez, after graduating from globetrotter and try her fortune in Italy, Spain and Romania, attempts to stabilize her game in the KS Palac Bydgoszsc in Poland….
Further south, the charismatic Yaima Ortiz has landed in Turkey after passing through one of the most prestigious European schools: Dinamo Moscow. That is after a prior adaptive tour through Azerbaijan and other Russian clubs.
Nancy Carrillo, the most talented of the last Caribbeanteams has found base in Switzerland. After a stint in Russia and Brazil, the Cuban central is the face of the Volero Zürich, a club that was eliminated in the qualifying round of the Champions League, and she was among the top scorers. Carrillo is the star, with her brief serve, with excessive blocking and with predatory attacks. Nancy is Zürich in volleyball and this may be worth it as a springboard to access a European giant in a short time.
In Turkey, Rosir Calderon has dazzled the Galatazaray by the contrasting she brings in court. The beautiful brunette laughs but always mercilessly attacks, hits the ball angrily but then her smile apologizes. Rosir is one of the most feared spikers in Europe, and is currently ranked among the top 10 scorers in the Champions League.
Great Daimi Ramirez stayed in the Brazilian Superliga, is a member of the Volei Amil Campinas club along the captain of the Brazilian national team, Fabiana Claudinho. Ramirez used to play as passer or auxiliary in Cuba, has been given the responsibility of being the opposite of her squad’s spiker.
Also in Brazil is Yuslenis Herrera, who has already gone through several teams in the league and is now part of the Banana Boat / Praia Clube. The Cuban has repeatedly completed the season among the best players of the tournament and in a short period aims to jump to European volleyball.
Author
Abraham Jiménez Enoa
