(VOVWORLD) - The Vietnamese women's volleyball team achieved a historic milestone on Sunday with a 3-1 win against Belgium to secure the bronze medal at the 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup. This marks the first time in history that the Vietnamese women's volleyball team has won a medal at this world-level tournament.
 Vietnam earn bronze medal in FIVB Challenger Cup |
Held in the Philippines from Thursday to Sunday, the FIVB Challenger Cup is a second-tier tournament, following the Nations League of the World Volleyball Federation. The Vietnamese team earned their spot in the tournament by winning the Asian tournament (AVC Challenge Cup). The 2024 FIVB Challenge Cup featured eight teams competing in a knockout format from the quarter-finals onward.
In a stunning performance, the Vietnamese team defeated Belgium, currently ranked 13th in the world, to claim the bronze medal. Despite being ranked 21 places lower than their opponents, the Vietnamese players displayed remarkable resilience, maintaining their lead throughout four sets. After losing the second set, they bounced back to win 3-1 with scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, and 25-17.
This 3-1 victory not only secured a third-place finish for the Vietnamese team but also marked the first time they have surpassed a European team in competition. Their success at the 2024 FIVB Challenge Cup builds on last year's achievement of qualifying for the Volleyball Challenge World Cup in France. The Vietnamese team's progress has impressed fans and observers alike, with the Philippines' One Sport page highlighting the team's "terrifying" progress and singling out star player Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who scored 35 points.
With this victory, Vietnam gained an additional 6.3 points in the world rankings, moving up two places to 32nd in the world— the highest ranking in the history of Vietnamese women's volleyball. In Asia, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team remains firmly in 5th place.