The Czech Republic participated in the FIVB Challenger Cup 2024 as the runner-up of the European Golden League 2024. This marks the second time the European team has advanced to the Challenger Cup semifinals, while the Vietnam women's volleyball team made history by reaching this stage of the competition.

Facing a formidable opponent ranked 16th in the world, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's players entered the match with confidence. However, the Czech team showcased excellent offensive play, capitalizing on their superior height. Their defense consistently blocked the attacks of Thanh Thuy and Bich Tuyen.

The Czech Republic led the score to 9/5, 20/13 before securing a 25/19 victory over Vietnam in the first set.

In the second set, the Czech team continued to dominate the Vietnamese players. Despite Bich Tuyen's valiant efforts, she struggled against the opponent's tall blockers. The world-ranked 16th team concluded the second set with a 25/14 win.

The Vietnam women's volleyball team started the third set strongly, tying with the Czech Republic at 2-2 and later taking the lead at 7/6 and 10/9. Nevertheless, the Czech players' skill and experience prevailed, resulting in a 25/19 victory and an overall 3-0 win.

With this 0-3 loss, the Vietnam women's volleyball team will compete for third place against Belgium at 14:00 on July 7.

Dai Nam