Tuyền Propels Vietnam to Historic Semi-Finals at the 2024 Volleyball Challenger Cup

Manila, The Gulf Observer: In an extraordinary display of skill and determination, Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền led Vietnam to the semi-finals of the women’s 2024 Volleyball Challenger Cup for the first time in history. On July 5, Vietnam triumphed over the host country, the Philippines, with a score of 25-14, 25-22, 25-21 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Spearheaded by the exceptional performance of outside hitter Tuyền, Vietnam dominated in all scoring elements. Tuyền scored an astounding 30 points across the three sets, achieving a 53 percent success rate on spikes and contributing three kill blocks to secure her team’s victory.

The match also marked the return of Vietnamese star captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy, who made a significant impact following her recovery from an injury. The dynamic duo of Tuyền and Thúy posed considerable challenges for the Filipinos, while the Vietnamese defenders effectively blocked the hosts’ attempts throughout the match.

Vietnam will now face the Czech Republic, who swept their quarter-final against Argentina with a score of 25-15, 25-22, 25-16, on the night of July 6.

This historic win marks the first time Vietnam has advanced to the semi-finals of the Challenger Cup. It is only their second appearance in the competition; last year, they were unable to progress past the quarter-finals.

Reflecting on the match, captain Thúy said, “Before the match, I was a little bit scared, but when I have a chance to play with my teammates I feel very happy and I want to take that chance. I am really proud of my teammates. I think they did very well. This is really a big opportunity for us to play in the Volleyball Nations League 2024, so we will try our best to take advantage of it.”

The Czech Republic’s advance to the semi-finals marks their second time in the tournament’s history. They previously reached the finals in 2019, ultimately securing the silver medal.

In the other semi-finals, Belgium will face Puerto Rico. Both teams swept their quarterfinal encounters, with Belgium defeating Sweden and Puerto Rico overcoming Kenya. This marks Belgium’s second advancement to the Challenger Cup semi-finals, with their previous appearance in 2022 ending in a silver medal. Puerto Rico has advanced to the Challenger Cup semi-finals for the third time, having finished with bronze in 2018 and 2022.

The FIVB Challenger Cup features eight teams competing in a knockout stage format. The champion team will qualify for the next year’s Volleyball Nations League as a challenger team.