Vietnam women's volleyball faces challenges at the 2026 AVC Cup

The challenge for Trần Thị Thanh Thúy and her teammates in this year's AVC Cup (formerly AVC Challenge Cup, AVC Nations Cup) is notably tougher.

The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) has officially announced the list of national teams qualified to participate in the AVC Cup. Accordingly, the Vietnam women's volleyball team - the reigning champion of the tournament for three consecutive seasons - remains on the list of participants.

The AVC Cup is a continental competition for national teams (excluding those currently in the VNL: Japan, China, Thailand), previously known as the AVC Challenge Cup and AVC Nations Cup before the AVC unified the name. The tournament not only contests titles but also plays a crucial role within the competition system, providing opportunities for teams aiming at the Asian Championship.

The 2026 AVC Cup for women will be held in the Philippines from June 6 to June 14. The participating women's teams this year include Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Chinese Taipei, and Uzbekistan.

While in the last two editions, Vietnam's women's volleyball team faced few difficulties on their path to the championship, this year the challenge for Trần Thị Thanh Thúy and her teammates will be greater with South Korea's entry.

This will be South Korea's first appearance in the AVC Cup, as previously the "Land of the Morning Calm" team was a regular in the VNL. No longer a top Asian team after the retirement of legend Kim Yeon-koung, becoming an underdog and relegated in the VNL, having lost to Vietnam with the same score of 2-3 at the 2023 Asian Championship and ASIAD 19, South Korea remains a formidable squad and a strong contender for the title this year.

According to plans, the AVC will soon announce the draw results and the specific competition format for both men's and women's events. Notably, the 2026 AVC Cup also serves as a stepping stone for teams aiming for the 2026 Asian Championship, with the women's event scheduled in China in August.