Thailand's decline, opportunity for Vietnamese women's volleyball

Consecutive failures at the FIVB Nations League (VNL) 2025 have made experts worried about the position of Thai women's volleyball, especially the rise of the Vietnamese team in recent times.

Thailand lost consecutively at VNL 2025 - Photo: VNL

"Thai women's volleyball is under heavy pressure," headlined Thailand's The Nation newspaper after a crushing 0-3 (24-26, 19-25, 11-25) defeat to Germany on the morning of July 11.

Risk of "disappearing" from VNL

This defeat left Thailand in 17th/18th place in the 2025 VNL season. And with only 2 matches left until the end of the group stage, Thailand faces enormous pressure from the relegation race.

Compared to previous years, this year's VNL has changed significantly in format. From 16 teams and no relegation, VNL 2025 has increased to 18 teams, and the team at the bottom of the group stage will not have a place to participate in the following season.

Currently, this position belongs to Korea, which has also lost 9/10 matches in the tournament like Thailand, but is slightly worse in terms of secondary index. In the context of 2 rounds left, and not facing each other directly, Thailand and Korea will have to strive to compete in each match to escape the relegation position.

It is understandable that the Thai volleyball community is worried at this time. Because they have been a core member of VNL since the tournament opened in 2018, they have never had to worry about relegation.

In previous seasons, Thailand once entered the top 8, and had an average position of around 10-14, never having to "finish last".

But the decline has been evident for the past 2 years. This season, due to the pressure of the relegation race, the girls from the Golden Temple seem to have lost themselves. They only won 1 match against France, created a bit of a surprise against Japan (lost 2-3), and lost most of the remaining matches 3-0.

Losing the VNL spot will be a painful blow.

According to The Nation 's analysis, losing the VNL spot would be extremely dangerous for Thai women's volleyball. Thanks to joining the tournament from the very beginning, Thai women's volleyball has always been able to compete with world-class players.

Thai women's volleyball team (red shirt) is still dominating Vietnam every time they face each other - Photo: NAM TRAN

Over the past two decades, Thai women's volleyball has quickly proven its continental class. And VNL has brought them closer to world class.

"If they cannot keep their place in the VNL, Thai women's volleyball will face the risk of falling behind," Thairath warned.

Thai media also mentioned concerns about sponsorship, as well as the possibility of being seeded in major tournaments.

Not to mention, Thailand will also lose an important advantage over Vietnam - the number 2 women's volleyball force in the region, and is increasingly growing stronger in the continent.

In the most recent encounters, Thailand still dominated the Vietnamese women's volleyball team. Specifically, a series of 3 consecutive matches in 2023, from the SEA Games, Asian Championship to Asiad.

At the SEA Games, Thailand beat Vietnam 3-1 to win the gold medal. A similar scoreline appeared when the two teams met in the group stage of the Asian Championship. At the Asian Games, Thailand won 3 straight games in the bronze medal match of the tournament.

But it has been 2 years since then. The Vietnamese volleyball team continues to maintain its growth momentum, while Thailand is considered to be in decline, as its key players are getting older and the pressure is heavy.

That is clearly a great opportunity for Vietnamese women's volleyball to erase the haunting defeat that has lasted for decades against Thailand.

Under the new VNL regulations, the team that finishes last in the standings will lose its spot in the 2026 season. This spot will be awarded to the team that ranks highest in the FIVB rankings - among those that have not yet entered the tournament.

Opportunities will come to Vietnam, but not many. Because on the FIVB rankings at the moment, the race is taking place between Ukraine (ranked 14th in the world), Argentina (ranked 15th), Puerto Rico (ranked 18th)...

Vietnam is currently ranked 26th with 141.21 points, about 50 points behind the above group.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thai-lan-sa-sut-co-hoi-cho-bong-chuyen-nu-viet-nam-20250711151045844.htm