Coach Tuấn Kiệt: 'Setter Kim Thoa played the best match ever'

Securing a starting position at SEA Games 33, setter Võ Thị Kim Thoa immediately made a strong impression.

Vietnam women's volleyball head coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt praised setter Võ Thị Kim Thoa after the SEA Games 33 final on the evening of December 15.

"There is nothing to criticize about our players; we were just unlucky. As for Kim Thoa, she was injured and not in good condition before the tournament, but today she delivered the best setting performance I have ever seen since I have known her."Coach Tuấn Kiệt affirmed.

In previous tournaments, the setter position for Vietnam's women's volleyball team was usually assigned to Đoàn Thị Lâm Oanh, but at SEA Games 2025, Kim Thoa earned the trust of Coach Tuấn Kiệt. The setter from VTV Bình Điền Long An had an outstanding tournament with excellent ball control and great coordination with teammates like Trần Thị Thanh Thúy, Vi Thị Như Quỳnh, and Trần Thị Bích Thủy.

Overall, Kim Thoa continued to perform well in this SEA Games final, and in the decisive fifth set, where both sides had numerous championship-point chances, the pressure understandably affected her.

Born in 1998, Võ Thị Kim Thoa, together with Lâm Oanh, has been an irreplaceable setter duo for the national team for many years. Domestically, the VTV Bình Điền Long An player almost always wins the Best Setter award in the tournaments she participates in.

Kim Thoa has helped VTV BĐLA win 4 national championships, 4 Hùng Vương Cups, and 1 Asian Club Championship silver medal. At the national team level, she was part of the squad that won three consecutive AVC Nations Cups, two SEA Games silver medals, one FIVB Challenger Cup bronze, and the historic gold medal in the second stage of the SEA V.League with an unforgettable victory over Thailand in the deciding match.