Vietnam women's volleyball secures easy victory at ASIAD 2026

Vietnam easily defeated Qatar 3-0 in their opening match of Group D at the ASIAD 2026 indoor women's volleyball tournament on the afternoon of 16/9.

Outside hitter Pham Quynh Huong spikes the ball during Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Qatar in their opening match of Group D at the ASIAD 2026 indoor women's volleyball tournament, held at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki city, Aichi province, Japan, on the afternoon of 16/9. Photo: VFV

The Vietnam women's volleyball team began their ASIAD 2026 campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over Qatar in Group D on 16/9. The match, played at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki city, Aichi province, Japan, saw Vietnam secure the win with set scores of 25-3, 25-8, and 25-9, concluding in just 49 minutes.

Vietnam, ranked among the world's top 30 and 5th in Asia, entered the match as favorites against Qatar, one of Asia's weakest teams without a global ranking. This significant disparity in skill was evident from the start, allowing coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's squad to control the game completely.

With aspirations of reaching the top four in the tournament, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet assembled a strong roster. Key players included star outside hitter Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and middle blockers Tran Thi Bich Thuy and Le Thanh Thuy. The team also featured promising young talents like Pham Quynh Huong and Bui Thi Anh Thao, indicating a blend of experience and future potential.

The Vietnamese team's dominance was particularly clear in the first set, which they won with an overwhelming 25-3 score. In the subsequent two sets, coach Kiet opted to rest several core players, including Khanh Dang, Thanh Thuy, Bich Thuy, and Kim Thoa. Despite these substitutions, Vietnam maintained their superior performance, comfortably winning the sets 25-8 and 25-9.

Despite the straightforward victory, the Vietnamese team did exhibit some areas for improvement. Notably, their serving occasionally faltered, with some players serving out of bounds or into the net, inadvertently conceding points to their opponents. This will be a focus for upcoming matches.

Vietnam's next challenge will be against Hong Kong tomorrow, as they continue their quest through Group D, which also includes Korea.