Vietnam's U18 girls fall to China in AVC volleyball quarter-finals

Facing the defending champions and one of the tournament favourites, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa's side entered the match as underdogs against a physically imposing Chinese team known for its powerful style of play. Nevertheless, Vietnam made a confident start and matched their opponents for long stretches.

Hitters Anh Thao, Thuy Linh and Mai Quynh continued to score in the opening two sets, helping Vietnam stay within reach of China. In the second set, the Vietnamese side rallied from a sizeable deficit before eventually going down 25-19.

The turning point came in the third set. Vietnam opened up a four-point lead before China drew level, but Ngoc Hoa's players held their nerve at crucial moments to take the set 25-20, becoming the first team to win a set against the defending champions at this year's tournament.

China quickly regained control in the fourth set and sealed a 25-13 victory to complete a 3-1 win (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-13).

Despite the quarter-final defeat, Vietnam delivered an encouraging performance. Their display against the tournament favourites, particularly becoming the first team to take a set off China, highlighted the team's technical progress and growing composure, offering further encouragement for the future of Vietnam's youth volleyball.

The tournament hosted by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) from July 1 to 7 features 16 teams divided into four groups. The top four finishers will progress through to the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Girls' U19 World Championship.

U18 Vietnam seal quarterfinal berth at Asian volleyball championship with win over India

VOV.VN - Vietnam women's national under-18 volleyball team secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AVC Girls’ U18 Volleyball Championship after defeating India women's national under-18 volleyball team in straight sets in Thailand on July 3.