Cuba have a tradition of playing a leading role in international competitions -and their women's teams have won numerous medals across the board (including three gold each at the Olympic Games and the World Championships).

Nonetheless, it's been a decade since they've been on the podium of an FIVB competition. And although the Caribbean side are building up a new generation to return to the glory days of the 1990s, the last couple of years have not been kind to them either. Cuba finished a disappointing 21st (last) at the 2014 World Championship in Italy, failed to make it through to the Group 3 finals of the 2015 World Grand Prix and ended up 6th at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Cuba have also been struggling at age-group level in FIVB competitions. The last time they won a medal was a gold at the 1993 Women's Junior (now U20) World Championships in Brasilia. They haven't qualified to a Youth (now U18) World Championship since 1997.

At Ankara, Cuba are fielding a team with hardly any overlap to the teams that competed in other events in 2015 and 2014. There are, however, a few players carrying on from the squad that finished 9th at the inaugural U23 World Championship in 2013 in Tijuana.