Vietnam women's volleyball faces major setbacks ahead of SEA Games 33

The preparation process for Vietnam's women's volleyball team for SEA Games 33 is encountering significant challenges.

After concluding the World Championship, Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt and his team temporarily ended their first training phase of the year. According to the plan, the team will regroup at the end of October to fully focus on SEA Games 33, which will be held in Thailand in December.

The coach admitted that the upcoming period will be difficult because the team must pause training while players return to compete in the second phase of the national championship. This somewhat affects the team's tactical preparation and overall fitness.

"The biggest disadvantage for the team is that players have to return to play in the national championship. Meanwhile, regional rivals have already started their SEA Games preparations," Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt stated.

Mr. Kiệt also revealed that the team has not yet secured a training location for the second training camp. The plan was to train in Japan, but since the domestic volleyball league there takes place at the end of October, renting facilities has become difficult.

Additionally, team captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy will play for the Gunma Green Wings club in Japan. Born in 1997, she will only be able to rejoin the team about one week before SEA Games 33.

In the coming period, the team will focus on addressing persistent weaknesses identified at the World Championship, especially in the setter position and offensive tactics. Finding a player capable of taking over the opposite hitter role from Bích Tuyền is also urgent, as the team's offensive strength heavily relies on key attackers.

The coaching staff affirmed that this is a critical phase to refine the team's playing style, aiming to win the gold medal at SEA Games 33, a tournament in which Vietnam women's volleyball places high hopes after significant progress in the past two years.