Asian Games: Vietnam's women's volleyball team finishes 7th, China to meet Japan in final

Vietnam finishes seventh

On September 22 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Vietnam's women's volleyball team won the placement match for 7th position at the 20th Asian Games, defeating Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-15). According to Vietnam.vn, citing the newspaper Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng, team captain Tran Thi Thanh Thuy rested for the match, but her teammates coped well without her — outside hitter Pham Quynh Huong led the scoring with 18 points, while middle blocker Tran Thi Bich Thuy and opposite hitter Nguyen Thi Tra My each added 10 points. Before the tournament, head coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's team had targeted a 4th-place finish, but ultimately settled for 7th. The tournament featured 14 teams in total, with final standings confirmed on September 22.

Final: China vs. Japan

The finalists were determined in semifinals played on September 21. China defeated Thailand in a tense five-set battle (25-23, 21-25, 11-25, 28-26, 6-15), earning a chance at a third consecutive gold medal in the event. As reported by Vietnam.vn, the result reversed the outcome of the August 2026 Asian Championship final, where Thailand had beaten China in five sets to claim the title. In the fourth set of the Asiad semifinal, Thailand fought back to save several match points and won it 28-26, but China's greater physical strength and stamina proved decisive in the fifth set — the source notes Chinese players average around 1.90 meters in height, nearly a head taller than their Thai opponents.

In the other semifinal, Japan beat South Korea 3-0 in just 1 hour and 24 minutes. Japan will aim for its first Asian Games volleyball gold since 1978 when it meets China in the September 22 final. Thailand and South Korea will play for the bronze medal, with Thailand considered the favorite in that match.