Cuba will return to the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in 2025 after missing the previous edition, hoping to signal a new phase in the programme’s long and decorated history. They will compete in Pool B, where their first-round opponents include Italy, Belgium and Slovakia.
The team will begin their campaign against Belgium on 22 August in Phuket, followed by a match against Italy on 24 August and a final group-stage meeting with Slovakia on 26 August. All Pool B fixtures will be held in Phuket, one of four host cities for this year’s event.
The Caribbean nation remains one of the most successful in women’s volleyball, with three World Championship titles in 1978, 1994 and 1998, and a silver medal in 1986. Known historically as Las Morenas del Caribe, Cuba built a reputation through their physicality, powerful attack and dominance during the 1990s. Players such as Regla Torres, Mireya Luis and Regla Bell helped shape an era that left a lasting mark on the sport.
Cuba are also the only team in Olympic women’s indoor volleyball history to win three consecutive gold medals, achieving this remarkable feat at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. While other nations have won multiple titles, no other women’s team has matched that run of dominance.
From their first appearance in 1970, Cuba qualified for every edition of the World Championship until 2018. The team’s recent trajectory, however, has reflected a long period of rebuilding. After finishing 21st in 2014 and 22nd in 2018, they did not compete in the 2022 edition. Now, a new generation is beginning to emerge, with several players coming from the squad that won the 2024 Women’s U23 Pan American Cup.
Among those expected to play key roles in Thailand are opposite Lisania Grafort, who was named Most Valuable Player at the 2024 Women’s U23 Pan American Cup, setter Gretell Moreno and middle blockers Jessica Aguilera and Laura Suarez, all of whom bring growing international experience to the squad.
Brazilian coach Luizomar de Moura will lead Cuba at the World Championship
Cuba will be led in Thailand by newly appointed head coach Luizomar de Moura, who signed a four-year contract just weeks before the start of the tournament. The experienced Brazilian arrives with a decorated resume, having previously coached Kenya, Peru and Brazil’s youth national teams, as well as club powerhouse Osasco.
His appointment is part of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment support, which has also provided technical staff to assist the Cuban programme. Luizomar is joined by assistant coach Jefferson Arosti, strength and conditioning trainer Joao Filipe, physiotherapist Thiago Menezes Lessa Moreira and team manager Roberto Opice Neto.
Cuba’s men’s team were the first to benefit from this targeted support, and their rise in recent years is a reflection of its impact. The women’s team now hopes to follow a similar path, using the new resources and technical guidance to rebuild towards competitive success.
For Cuba, the timing could not be more critical. With young talent emerging and new support behind their development, the team has a chance to shape a future that honours their past. Their challenge in Thailand will be to match ambition with results, and in doing so, take the first step towards writing a new chapter in Cuban volleyball history.