Vietnam women's volleyball team defeated Thailand, making history in the regional arena

This remains the only and inaugural win for Vietnam's women's volleyball team over Thailand so far.

August 10, 2025, marked a truly memorable moment for Vietnam women's volleyball. At the final of the second leg of the 2025 SEA V.League held at Ninh Binh Sports Gymnasium, the Vietnam women's volleyball team beat Thailand for the first time in history with a 3-2 win (17-25; 24-26; 25-17; 25-22; 16-14), claiming the championship on home ground.

Thailand entered the match as the "big sister" of Southeast Asian women's volleyball, dominating all SEA V.League and SEA Games tournaments, and having won every encounter against Vietnam in over 40 previous matches. In the first leg of the SEA V.League the previous week, Ajcharaporn Kongyot and her teammates also secured victory and the title.

Under heavy pressure from Thailand's strength, Vietnam had a rough start, allowing their opponents to lead 2-0 with very smooth first ball receptions that disrupted Vietnam's attacking rhythm. It seemed the Vietnamese girls would face another defeat against Thailand, but they achieved the unimaginable.

In the 3rd and especially the 4th set, coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt made adjustments by moving captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy to play as the secondary main hitter, allowing Vi Thị Như Quỳnh and opposite hitter Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền to carry the offense. This tactic proved effective; Vietnam improved their backcourt defense while Vi Quỳnh and Bích Tuyền continuously shone, bringing the match back to a 2-2 tie.

The decisive 5th set saw a thrilling point chase led by the star Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền. The opposite hitter from Vinh Long displayed exceptional scoring ability, stunning the opponent’s continental-class stars. The climax came at the final play when libero Nguyễn Khánh Đang made a brilliant save against Thailand’s attack, setting up Bích Tuyền to deliver a thunderous spike that sealed a historic victory for Vietnamese volleyball.

This emotional win allowed the Vietnam women's volleyball team to defeat Thailand for the first time and claim their first-ever SEA V.League championship, marking a significant milestone in the team's development journey.

More than four months later, Vietnam and Thailand's women's volleyball teams met again, this time in the gold medal match of SEA Games 33. Although Bích Tuyền was absent from this tournament, Thanh Thúy and her teammates remained highly motivated, determined to create an upset right on Thai soil.

The indoor women's volleyball final of SEA Games 33 between Vietnam and Thailand will take place at 5:00 PM today, December 15.