VNL 2025: Dominican Republic aim for next-level finish

May 21, 2025.- With veteran leadership and continued Empowerment support, the Dominican Republic squad aim to turn years of top-level consistency into their first Final Round appearance in the Volleyball Nations League.

Dominican Republic have long been one of the most consistent forces in women’s volleyball, and since the launch of the VNL, they’ve remained a steady presence among the world’s top contenders. In 2025, they return with a veteran lineup, strong leadership and one goal still just out of reach.

The build-up of their high-performance system has been supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, with over CHF 940,000 in support since 2021. This has strengthened the foundation of the national team, providing long-term coaching stability, technical development, and the ability to remain internationally competitive across multiple Olympic cycles.

Head coach Marcos Kwiek remains at the helm in 2025, leading a squad that has dominated their continent in recent years. Dominican Republic won the NORCECA Final Six in both 2022 and 2024, claimed gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, and were crowned continental champions again in 2023. These results have underlined their dominance in continental play and reinforced their readiness to compete for bigger feats on the international stage.

Dominican Republic have been part of every VNL edition since the tournament began, but a Final Round appearance has remained out of reach. Their performances have kept them competitive across multiple seasons, yet that next-level finish continues to be the goal.

That pursuit continues in 2025 with a group of established stars still leading the charge. Libero Brenda Castillo, widely regarded as one of the most decorated defensive players in international volleyball, anchors the squad alongside standouts Jineiry and Brayelin Martínez. All three bring extensive VNL and major tournament experience, forming a foundation that has carried the team through multiple cycles.

Dominican Republic will start VNL 2025 Week 1 in Ottawa, facing Serbia, Bulgaria, Netherlands and Japan from 4 to 8 June. In Week 2, they move to Istanbul to meet hosts Türkiye, Belgium, Brazil and Korea and from 18 to 22 June. The Preliminary Round wraps up in Week 3 in Arlington, where they will take on China, United States, Thailand and Germany from 9 to 13 July.

The team will also use the VNL to further integrate younger players emerging from its development system – a long-term priority supported by Empowerment funding. While the veterans remain central to the squad’s identity, the next wave of talent is expected to gain experience during the 2025 season.