Vietnam shocked Korea in the Asian women's volleyball tournament

The strength of Korean women's volleyball is only behind Japan, China and Thailand in Asia currently. On the FIVB world rankings, Korea ranks 35th, 12 places higher than Vietnam.

The match at Nakhon Ratchasima Stadium (Thailand) this afternoon, August 30, took place as expected when Korea won the first two sets against Vietnam. In set one, Vietnam pulled the score to 22-22, but was helpless against the opponent's powerful shots and lost 22-25. Korea continued to maintain strong tee shots in the second set. The defense played well and Kang So-hwi, Lee Da-hyeon or Park Jeong-ah attacked stably to help them win 25-19 again.

In the decisive third set, Vietnam did not lose heart but continued to persistently compete for each score with Korea. Team captain Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy and her teammates improved their ability to block one step, limiting Kang So-hwi's dangers. When the score was 23-23, Vietnam made good use of the opponent's outside shot to win 25-23.

Vietnam became excited while South Korea declined in fitness. The resilience of the Korean girls is no longer good, they are constantly caught by the Vietnamese barricade. When the score was 15-15, Vietnam went up five points in a row before winning the fourth set 25-17.

In the fifth set, Vietnam proved to be prolific when it was ready to create durable balls. Captain Thanh Thuy scored eight points, including a situation to set the score 15-13 to help Vietnam win the final 3-2.

After the match, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet said the girls played with more than 100% ability. The two factors that brought Vietnam to victory that have improved from the third set are the ability to block the first step, and the good intention to keep up with the Korean beaters.

This victory gives Vietnam a great chance to win first place in Group C, when the remaining two opponents are rated lower than Taiwan and Uzbekistan. First place will help Vietnam enter the second group stage as the number one seed, avoiding strong opponents and opening the door to entering the final top four.

The 2023 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship will be held in Thailand from August 30 to September 6. Group A has Thailand, Australia, Mongolia. Group B has Japan, Iran, India. Group D has China, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The top three teams in the tournament will qualify for the 2025 Women's Volleyball World Championship.

After 20 times, China leads with 13 championships, followed by Japan (5) and Thailand (2). Vietnam's best performance is 5th place in 2015 and 2017.