The Vietnam women's volleyball team secured a 3-0 victory over Lebanon in their group B opener at the women's asian volleyball championship - AVC Cup 2026, on the morning of 6/6 in the Philippines. *Photo: AVC*

The AVC Nations Cup, organized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation, serves as a tier-two competition for teams with average rankings. Top-tier nations such as China, Japan, and Thailand are currently participating in the Nations League, which features the world's leading teams. Vietnam has a strong history in the AVC Cup, having won three consecutive titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and is considered a strong contender for the 2026 championship.

In preparation for the tournament, Coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet assembled a strong squad, featuring players identified after the first round of the national championship and the Hung Vuong Cup. The team also welcomed the return of Dinh Thi Thuy after three years.

As the defending champion, Vietnam is currently ranked 28th in the world, while Lebanon remains unranked. The skill gap between the two teams was evident from the outset, even with Vietnam fielding a reserve lineup. In set one, the Vietnamese players dominated, quickly establishing a 9-0 lead. Spikers Dinh Thi Thuy, Le Nhu Anh, and Nguyen Thi Uyen consistently scored points, leading to a swift 25-3 victory in the first set.

Following a stunning start, Lebanon gradually found their rhythm, improving their first pass reception and diligently following with blocks against Vietnam's spikers. The West Asian team managed to keep pace with the scoring in the subsequent two sets. However, Vietnam's women maintained control of the game, securing victories in the next two sets with scores of 25-15 and 25-14, respectively.

Middle blocker Le Nhu Anh easily scored points, helping the Vietnam women's volleyball team achieve a 3-0 victory over Lebanon in their group B opener at the women's asian volleyball championship - AVC Cup 2026, on the morning of 6/6 in the Philippines. *Photo: AVC*

The team concluded the match in 51 minutes, despite main attacker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy not playing. All players demonstrated consistent scoring efficiency. Le Nhu Anh led with 12 points, followed by Nguyen Thi Uyen with 11, Tran Thi Bich Thuy with 9, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh with 6, Dang Thi Kim Thanh with 5, Doan Thi Xuan with 4, Dinh Thi Thuy with 3, and Le Thanh Thuy with 2 points.

The AVC Cup is being held in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines, from 6-14/6, featuring 12 national teams. Group A includes host Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Australia. Group B comprises Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Lebanon. Teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals to compete for the championship. The remaining teams will compete for lower ranks.

On 7/6, Vietnam is scheduled to play Hong Kong at 8 a.m.

Duc Dong