On the morning of June 4, the Vietnam women's volleyball team landed in the Philippines ahead of AVC Cup 2026. Earlier, head coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet and his players departed from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi at 12:10 a.m. The flight lasted approximately four hours and 10 minutes before arriving in Manila at 4:20 a.m. local time.

After completing immigration procedures, the team continued its journey by road to Candon City, the host venue of AVC Cup 2026, located about six hours by bus from Manila. In total, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and her teammates spent around 10 hours traveling.

AVC Cup 2026 begins

AVC Cup 2026 marks the first international assignment of the year for Vietnam's women's volleyball team, where coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's side aims to defend the title it has claimed in three consecutive seasons.

For this tournament, Nguyen Tuan Kiet selected 14 players: Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, Vo Thi Kim Thoa, Le Nhu Anh, Le Thanh Thuy, Nguyen Khanh Dang, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, Vi Thi Yen Nhi, Tran Thi Bich Thuy, Ly Thi Luyen, Le Thi Yen, Dinh Thi Thuy, Nguyen Thi Uyen, Dang Thi Kim Thanh and Doan Thi Xuan.

"Through early-season tournaments such as the Hoa Lu Cup, the first phase of the National Championship, the Hung Vuong Cup and the VTV9-Binh Dien Cup, the coaching staff closely monitored the players' performances. Those selected have demonstrated the best form and the most consistency at this time. The national team door is always open to players who show the strongest form and ability," coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet said.

At this year's AVC Cup, the packed schedule presents an additional challenge. Most of Vietnam's matches will be played in the morning at 8 a.m. Vietnam time, requiring Thanh Thuy and her teammates to wake up as early as 5 or 6 a.m. to prepare. It will be a significant test, as it is the first time the team has faced such an early and demanding match schedule.

Vietnam has been drawn into Pool B alongside Kazakhstan, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong (China) and Lebanon. Pool A consists of the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia and Uzbekistan.

Teams will compete in a single round-robin format to determine rankings from first to sixth place in each pool. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, while all teams will continue playing classification matches after the group stage.