Việt Nam vs Uzbekistan at the 2023 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup in Indonesia on Monday. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

Volleyball

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam beat Uzbekistan 3-0 on Monday to top Group D of the 2023 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup in Indonesia.

Việt Nam showed a more diverse and coherent attacking ability than in their opening match against Mongolia, quickly taking a 7-2 lead in the first set.

Attacker Trần Thị Thanh Thúy continued to be the highlight of the match for the Vietnamese side. While the Uzbekistan players were embarrassed with many mistakes, the Vietnamese team won easily 25-11 in the first set.

At the beginning of the second set, after Uzbekistan scored the first points, Thanh Thúy alone helped Việt Nam increase their lead, winning nine straight points, including two serves.

Not just satisfied with her attacking prowess, the 1.93m-tall player Thanh Thúy also defended well, creating a chances for Kiều Trinh, Tú Linh and Nguyễn Thị Trinh to score. Việt Nam won this set by 25-6.

In the third set, coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt changed the entire squad and brought the reserves into the game. Although there were erratic combinations to help Uzbekistan score many points, the Vietnamese team still won this set 25-18, to secure the overall victory.

Thanh Thúy was the best scorer with 10 points, of which there were five serves.

With two wins against Mongolia and Uzbekistan, Việt Nam led Group D. They will continue to compete in the second group stage of Group F where they will only play two matches with the top two teams of Group B, Iran and Chinese Taipei.

The AVC Challenge Cup is an international competition in Asia and Oceania for unranked senior women's national teams of the members of the Asian Volleyball Confederation, the sport's continent governing body.

The winner will get a place at the FIVB Women's Challenge Cup which attracts teams from around the world to compete in France in July.

Following the event in Indonesia, Việt Nam will head to South Korea for a training camp ahead of the 19th Asian Games in September. — VNS