Young female volleyball players break through from international playgrounds

Change in professional thinking

This year, Vietnamese women's volleyball will continue to participate in the continental youth tournament, the 2026 AFC U18 Championship (taking place from July 1 to 7). A year ago, we competed in the 2025 FIFA U21 World Championship.

Every year, the Asian Volleyball Federation and the World Volleyball Federation organize tournaments for young players. This is an opportunity to help volleyball nations introduce promising talents for volleyball. More importantly, young players gradually stepping out into the big playground will improve their skills, improve their psychology and develop achievements.

Vietnamese volleyball once had a period when it did not regularly participate much in youth tournaments in Asia. Therefore, young Vietnamese players faced many disadvantages to further develop their skills, expertise, as well as our volleyball background was always underestimated. In the past 5 years, the increase in participation in youth tournaments has been implemented more by the Vietnam Volleyball Federation.

Former head coach of the Vietnam U20 Women's National Team, Mr. Nguyen Trong Linh, said that each international playground has its own value. "Most importantly, players will improve their psychology and thus have the ability to develop very well in the future. People who specialize in young players like us are always happy when women's volleyball in particular has valuable competition opportunities" - Mr. Nguyen Trong Linh assessed.

This year, the Vietnam U18 Women's Volleyball Team gathers 20 players to participate in the 2026 AFC U18 Championship. This is considered a professional preparation step for the Vietnam Volleyball Federation to find a spot to participate in the 2027 FIFA U19 World Championship.

Opportunity for young players to develop

Round 1 of the 2026 National Club Championship is being held in Dong Anh (Hanoi). In this year's tournament, many young players who were members of the Vietnam U20 Women's Volleyball Team and the Vietnam U21 Women's Volleyball Team have matured, becoming players who have won a main playing spot for their managing team.

2 years ago, the official squad of Vietnam U20 women's players who competed in the 2024 AFC U20 Championship included: Pham Quynh Huong, Dang Thi Hong, Pham Thuy Linh, Le Thuy Linh, Bui Thi Anh Thao, Nguyen Lan Vy, Le Bach Hop, Le Nhu Anh, Nguyen Phuong Quynh, Ha Kieu Vy, Lai Khanh Lam, Nguyen Van Ha. The Vietnam U21 women's volleyball team that competed in the 2025 FIFA U21 World Cup included players: Lai Khanh Huyen, Ngo Thi Bich Hue, Pham Quynh Huong, Pham Thuy Linh, Le Thuy Linh, Bui Thi Anh Thao, Ha Kieu Vy, Nguyen Phuong Quynh, Dang Thi Hong, Le Nhu Anh, Nguyen Lan Vy, Nguyen Van Ha.

From these tournaments, Pham Quynh Huong, Bui Thi Anh Thao, Le Nhu Anh, Pham Thuy Linh, Le Thuy Linh... successively made good professional progress. Among them, Bui Thi Anh Thao and Le Nhu Anh were the players who won the SEA Games 33 Silver Medal in Thailand with the Vietnamese Women's Volleyball Team. Each face has had good development, from here Vietnamese women's volleyball has a strength to supplement when older players leave the ring.

In this year's U18 Vietnam Women's Volleyball Team gathering, Bui Thi Anh Thao and Le Thuy Linh continue to be named.

If you look closely, we choose players to focus on the Vietnam U18 women's team based on the professional proposal of the coaching staff and these are very promising young players in this age group. When they are trained and compete, the opportunity will be very good for each player to develop their expertise" - a representative of the Professional Committee of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation emphasized.