Vietnam improved significantly in the FIVB Women's Volleyball Challenger Cup after finishing in third place in this year's edition of the tournament.
World no. 34 Vietnam continues to rise through the ranks after securing the bronze medal against Belgium in four sets, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Sunday, July 7.
Vietnam's improvements from finishing in eighth place last year have paid off, now taking a place in the podium of the international tournament.
After Czechia limited her to just 12 points in the semifinals, Vietnamese star Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen vented her ire against the Belgians, scoring 35 points on 34 attacks and one block.
Tuyen fired on all cylinders to open the game, scoring 11 points in the first set alone.
The world no. 13 Belgium regained their composure in the second as spikers Manon Stragier and Pauline Martin joined forces to tie the game at a set apiece.
But once again, the Vietnamese’s strong start propelled them to a comfortable lead in the third, which they would cling on to despite a late rally by the Belgians.
The same scenario unfolded in the fourth set as Vietnam fired to an early 11-8 lead behind Tuyen. But this time around, the Southeast Asian powerhouse made sure to close the game out as middle blocker Nguyen Thi Trinh provided the necessary lift to help the team secure the bronze.
Trinh contributed 10 markers in the win, while Thi Thanh Thuy Tran, more known as T4, added seven.
Belgium was led by Stragier and Martin, who finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Middle blocker Britt Fransen added 11 in the loss.