Vietnam miss Volleyball Women's World Cup qualification after losing to Japan

Vietnam players during the bronze medal match of Asian Women's Volleyball Championship with Japan on September 6, 2023. Photo by AVC

In the semifinal, Japan had a grueling five-set match against Thailand where they lost 3-2. They also had less recovery time than Vietnam. Although Vietnam lost 3-0 against China in the semifinals, their match was shorter which allowed them to maintain their stamina.

This gave Vietnam an advantage during the bronze medal match on Wednesday. Both teams displayed excellent attacking prowess. However, Japan, with their strong defensive skills and hitter Fuyumi Hawi, managed to make the difference.

In the first set, Vietnam lead most of the time, with Japan committing four errors. This helped Vietnam secure victory in the first set with a score of 25-21, thanks to Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh's attacks and Tran Thi Thanh Thuy's effective blocks.

Japan bounced back in the second set, improving their offensive game with 17 successful hits to win 25-14.

The third set witnessed a fierce battle with Vietnam registering 18 attacking points, just one less than Japan. Nevertheless, Japan clinched the 25-22 win.

In the fourth set, Vietnam came back after trailing 8-4. Coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's timeout speech played a pivotal role in boosting the mentality of the Vietnamese players, and they scored eight consecutive points after resuming the game. Ultimately, Vietnam triumphed 25-20 in this set.

In the last set, Japan unleashed their full strength, with masterful and unstoppable hits from Hawi. The gap gradually widened, concluding with a 15-11 victory in favor of Japan.

With this defeat, Vietnam failed to qualify for the 2025 Volleyball Women’s World Cup. Nonetheless, their achievement of reaching the top four in Asian Women's Volleyball Championship for the first time in history was a milestone.