The Vietnam U21 women’s volleyball team will face the Dominican Republic in the playoff for 19th place at the 2025 U21 World Championship after losing 1-3 to Chile.

In the classification match for 17th-20th place on the evening of August 15, Vietnam started strongly against Chile but struggled with coordination between setters and attackers. The South American side capitalized on errors, taking the first set 25-17.

In the second set, Vietnam’s first-pass errors persisted, while Chile maintained consistency and composure. Psychological pressure hindered the Vietnamese players, leading to a 15-25 defeat.

The third set marked a turnaround as Vietnam delivered an explosive performance, scoring 16 attack points and four blocks, while exploiting Chile’s mistakes to win 25-17, narrowing the match to 1-2.

However, Chile quickly reasserted dominance in the fourth set with superior attacking (18 points to Vietnam’s 13) and effective serving, putting pressure on Vietnam’s reception line. Despite contributing four blocks and minimizing errors, Vietnam fell short, losing 20-25.

Although defeated 1-3, Vietnam’s spirited display in the third set highlighted the team’s potential and fighting mentality.

Coach Nguyen Trong Linh’s squad now prepares for one final match, against the Dominican Republic, who lost 0-3 to Canada (20-25, 23-25, 23-25) in the same bracket. The clash for 19th place is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on August 16.

Thien Binh