The Vietnamese women’s volleyball squad opened its Asian Games 2026 campaign in Group D, which also features South Korea (ranked 28), Hong Kong (127) and unranked Qatar. Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt’s 12‑player roster – led by captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy and including rising stars Phạm Quỳnh Hương (18) and Bùi Thị Ánh Thảo (17) – faced Qatar at 11:00 on 16 September, a match broadcast on VTV6. Qatar, deemed the group’s weakest side, offered Vietnam a chance to build confidence after a long training stint in Japan that left the team slightly fatigued.
The second fixture came at 14:00 on 17 September against Hong Kong. Despite a 3‑0 victory over the same opponent at the Asian Championship a month earlier, coach Kiệt warned against complacency, noting Hong Kong’s recent progress. Vietnam deployed a potent attacking line‑up with Phạm Quỳnh Hương spearheading the offense, supported by Bùi Thị Ánh Thảo and the back‑row attackers Trần Thị Bích Thủy and Lê Như Anh. The team delivered a convincing straight‑sets win, securing three points and moving level on points with South Korea but leading the group on set ratio.
The triumph guarantees Vietnam a place in the quarter‑finals and sets up a decisive showdown with South Korea at 14:00 on 18 September to determine the group’s top two. Kiệt emphasized that the early victory not only fulfills the team’s primary objective of reaching the knockout stage but also provides valuable rest for key players ahead of the crucial final group match.