Vietnam women's volleyball retains its ranking after historic feat against Poland

Although defeated in their first game at the World Championship by Poland, the Vietnam women's volleyball squad still holds steady at 22nd in the world, marking their best-ever position

After the opening round of the 2025 World Championship, the Vietnam women's volleyball team remains at 22nd place in the FIVB rankings. According to the latest update on August 24, this ranking is unchanged from before the tournament began and continues to be the highest milestone in the history of the Vietnamese women's team since they first appeared on the world rankings.

Meanwhile, notable changes occurred among other Group G opponents. Poland — who defeated Vietnam 3-1 in the opening match — remains firmly in 3rd place globally. Germany, the next opponent for coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt’s team, holds 11th place. Kenya experienced an unexpected drop, falling from 23rd to 27th after an unfavorable first-round result.

Vietnam’s opening match against Poland left a strong impression, especially by winning a set against a highly favored opponent. This marked the first time a Vietnamese women's volleyball team has won a set at the sport’s biggest global stage.

In this match, eight Vietnamese players scored points, with Vi Thị Như Quỳnh standing out by scoring 20 points, becoming the team’s top scorer. Bích Thủy contributed 9 points, Kiều Trinh added 8, team captain Thanh Thúy scored 6, Nguyễn Thị Uyên had 4, while both Lê Thanh Thúy and Nguyễn Thị Trinh scored 3 points each. Đoàn Thị Lâm Oanh also made an impact with 2 points.

Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt expressed satisfaction with his players’ fighting spirit and believes the Vietnamese women’s team is capable of earning more points in upcoming matches. He emphasized that team cohesion is the key to confident play, even when facing superior opponents.

After the first round, Poland and Germany temporarily lead Group G, both securing wins. Vietnam and Kenya have yet to earn points, but opportunities remain wide open as the group stage has many matches left. Notably, winning a set against Poland helped Vietnam lose only 0.01 points, thereby maintaining their 22nd place in the world rankings.

On the afternoon of August 25, the Vietnam women's team will play their second match against Germany, a team ranked 11 places above them.