Vietnam's volleyball team stuns Indonesia, secures place in SEA V.Cup 2026 final

In the second leg semifinals of SEA V.Cup, Vietnam's men's volleyball team pulled off a huge upset against Indonesia, winning 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18) and advancing to the final in impressive fashion.

Entering the rematch against a higher-rated opponent, Vietnam showed determination from the very first rallies. Despite constantly chasing and creating plenty of difficulties, the team still had to face Indonesia's superior strength in the opening set. With fast-paced play and effective attacks, the representatives from the archipelago nation won 25-22 to take a 1-0 lead.

However, that was all Indonesia could manage. In the next two sets, Vietnam exploded with extremely impressive performance. Effective blocking, tight defense, and sharp counterattacks helped the red-shirted team continuously build advantages.

Meanwhile, Indonesia gradually lost their stability, repeatedly making mistakes at crucial moments. Vietnam fully capitalized on the opportunities to win two consecutive sets 25-22 and 25-19, thereby staging a comeback to lead 2-1.

The momentum continued into the fourth set. Although Indonesia fought back strongly to keep their hopes alive, the Vietnamese players remained calm and composed. Decisive attacks, solid defense, and fiery determination allowed Vietnam to fully control the game before closing the set with a 25-18 win, sealing a spectacular comeback 3-1.

This victory not only sent Vietnam's men's volleyball team to the final of SEA V Cup leg 2, but also carried historical significance. After 11 years since the last time they beat Indonesia 3-0 at the 2015 SEA Games, Vietnam men's volleyball has once again overcome a long-standing rival.

It should be noted that Indonesia is the number one power in Southeast Asian men's volleyball. They have won the SEA Games 12 times and had won all of their last nine encounters against Vietnam's men's volleyball team.

But this time, we have achieved a convincing "payback". Ngọc Thuân and his teammates have demonstrated remarkable progress in expertise, composure, and competitive mentality, opening up hopes of conquering titles and affirming a new position for Vietnam's men's volleyball in the regional arena.