Vietnam Women's Volleyball: Hope Placed on the Young Generation

04/09/2025 06:52:00 PANDATV

Within just one month, Vietnam’s women’s volleyball team competed in two historic tournaments: the 2025 World Championship and the U21 World Championship. Although the outcomes did not meet expectations, clearly, based on their performance, the national women’s volleyball team can look forward to a promising new generation.

1. At the U21 World Championship, drawn into Group A with Argentina, Serbia, Canada, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico, the Vietnamese U21 team was seen as an underdog. Yet, the young athletes produced a major upset. Their 3-1 win over Canada, including a 25-5 set, was the most remarkable set result of the tournament.

Next, Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt’s squad continued by defeating Serbia, one of Europe’s top teams, and Puerto Rico by the same 3-1 scoreline. These wins not only opened the door to the round of 16 but also demonstrated their growing maturity in spirit and tactics.

Although they lost to Argentina, Vietnam U21’s confident start, cohesive teamwork, and resilient defense made their opponents cautious. In their debut on the world stage, Vietnam U21 proved they were not just there to learn but truly capable of competing.

Riding high on positive results, the team suddenly faced a setback: the FIVB annulled the results of four matches due to one player’s ineligibility. Consequently, all previous victories were forfeited as 0-3 losses, eliminating Vietnam U21 from the round of 16. This ruling caused great disappointment among the team and fans alike.

Nevertheless, in the classification rounds, the young women maintained a fighting spirit, defeating Egypt and the Dominican Republic and only losing to Chile, finishing 19th overall. From a technical standpoint, Vietnam U21 deserved credit for surpassing expectations.

Vietnam U21 women’s volleyball left the 2025 World Championship with many valuable lessons. Photo: Hải Đường

This incident also delivered a deep lesson: not only on-court performance but also management is crucial. In professional sports, a small mistake can impact the whole team.

2. In their first U21 World Championship, many players confirmed their abilities, such as Bích Huệ, Anh Thảo, Lê Thúy Linh, and Khánh Vy, each leaving an impression in every match. Notably, 17-year-old Quỳnh Hương surprised many by playing confidently and becoming a key scorer in some classification matches.

The team’s strength lies in its balance and ability to rotate starters and substitutes. However, two weaknesses stood out: setting and physical stamina, which have long been issues for Vietnamese women’s volleyball.

The journey in Indonesia showed that Vietnam’s youth volleyball is moving in the right direction. A new generation of players is maturing, ready to reinforce the national team in the next few years.

However, to advance further, fundamental solutions are necessary: firstly, management and registration processes must be tightened to ensure professionalism and prevent repeating unfortunate incidents.

Simultaneously, investing in improving physical fitness, enhancing first-ball reception skills, and applying modern sports science is essential. Particularly, providing regular international competition opportunities for young players is key to building their experience and resilience.

Vietnam U21 women’s volleyball finished 19th at the 2025 World Championship, but more importantly, they gained valuable experience, a confident fighting spirit, and a positive reputation internationally.

From setbacks off the court to impressive wins on it, the team’s journey was both memorable and thought-provoking. This experience forms a solid foundation for Vietnam’s youth volleyball to grow stronger as they aim for new heights.

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