Marcos Kwiek after the loss to the United States: “We didn’t play at the level we are used to”
The manager of the Queens of the Caribbean, Marcos Kwiek, was self-critical after the Dominican women’s volleyball team’s 3-0 defeat to the United States during the NORCECA tournament semifinals. The coach acknowledged that the team failed to execute its game plan against an opponent that imposed its conditions from the opening whistle.
There was only one team that played, which was the United States. We practically didn’t play. Without taking credit away from the Americans, who had a great performance, we made many mistakes and were not at our usual level.
Marcos Kwiek, manager of the Reinas del Caribe.
Kwiek pointed out that the effectiveness of the United States in their serve was the key factor that destabilized the Dominican reception, thus facilitating the defensive and blocking work of the North Americans. Despite the adverse result, the strategist sees this setback as a necessary lesson to adjust technical details before the Olympic qualifier, the primary objective of the national team.
Total focus on the bronze medal match against Cuba
After this setback, the Dominican team is preparing to compete for the bronze medal this Wednesday against Cuba. Kwiek emphasized the importance of this commitment, especially due to the rising level that the Cuban team has shown recently.
- Video analysis: The coaching staff will use recordings of previous matches to adjust the strategy.
- Tactical training: Sessions will be held focused on correcting the mistakes made against the United States.
- Winning mentality: The goal is to close the tournament with a medal, maintaining maximum concentration for the clash against the Cubans.
The coach highlighted that the rivalry with Cuba will be recurring in the coming months, as both teams will face each other in various instances, including the crucial pre-Olympic tournament. “These are interesting situations where we face the same opponent several times. Now it is time to stay focused, study the rival well, and go out on the court to fight,” concluded the coach.
