This spectacular victory not only helped coach Federico Rampazzo's team reach the top of the tournament for the first time after many years of waiting, but also officially secured their ticket to participate in the 2027 AVC Cup.
Vietnam Men's Volleyball Team Wins SEA V.Cup for the First Time
Entering the final match of the second leg, the pressure on the Vietnamese team was immense. Right from the opening set, Thailand demonstrated the prowess of a top team in the region by effectively exploiting errors in Vietnam's first touch and serve. Despite coach Rampazzo's efforts to adjust and his players briefly leading 20-17, Thailand showed their ability to break through at crucial points to turn the tide and win 25-22.
Not letting the first set defeat affect their morale, the Vietnamese team regained the initiative in the second set. Thanks to timely psychological support from the Italian coach and the consistent brilliance of the quartet of Ngoc Thuan, Van Phuong, Duy Tuyen, and Van Tien, the red-shirted team relentlessly chased the game. The turning point came when the score was 22-21. A powerful serve from Dinh Van Phuong and a tricky backhand from Duong Van Tien completely overwhelmed the Thai defense, securing a narrow 25-23 victory for Vietnam and leveling the score at 1-1.
The Vietnamese team maintained their momentum strongly in the third set. The highly effective blocking by Tran Duy Tuyen and Truong The Khai shut down the opponent's main attacker, Chaiwat, allowing Vietnam to maintain a safe distance and easily finish the set with a 25-19 victory. In the fourth set, seeing Thailand pushing forward and creating a significant point difference, coach Rampazzo proactively rested key players to conserve energy for the decisive set. Vietnam accepted a 15-25 loss to focus entirely on the fifth set.
The fifth set was incredibly dramatic, with both teams battling for every point. When the score was 8-8, luck smiled on Vietnam after Duy Tuyen's serve deflected off the net, followed by The Khai's superb block, giving the home team an 11-9 lead. Taking advantage of the pressure on their opponents, the Vietnamese hitters continuously increased the pressure, forcing Thailand to make a series of unforced errors. With the decisive 15-10 victory in the fifth set, the Vietnamese team closed out the breathtaking final and officially claimed the championship title of the second leg of the SEA V.Cup 2026, much to the overwhelming joy of the coaching staff and fans.
The biggest contributor to this historic achievement was outside hitter Nguyen Ngoc Thuan. The 1999-born hitter had a brilliant day, scoring 31 points in the final, bringing his total points in the second leg to 98. This dominant performance allowed him to sweep both prestigious individual awards: Best Player and Best Outside Hitter of the tournament. Alongside Ngoc Thuan, middle blocker Tran Duy Tuyen also performed impressively, winning the Best Middle Blocker award. Despite finishing as runners-up, the Thai team still contributed three players to the All-Star team: Napadet Bhinijdee (opposite hitter), Boonyarid Wongtorn (setter), and Pakkapong Kwangnok (libero). The remaining two individual awards went to outside hitter Veasna Voeurn of Cambodia and middle blocker Hendra Kurniawan of Indonesia.
Winning the championship at the second leg of the SEA V.Cup 2026 not only helped the Vietnamese men's volleyball team break their losing streak in finals against Thailand and Indonesia in regional tournaments, but also helped the team climb the rankings of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), reaching 58th place with 73.58 points, officially surpassing Thailand. This is considered a crucial morale boost, creating a solid foundation for coach Federico Rampazzo and his team to confidently aim for continental-level achievements in the future.
Ha Phuong