SEA volleyball powerhouse Thailand escaped relegation from the next edition of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), edging Asian rival South Korea by a single point in the preliminary round standings.
Although the Thais lost to Canada on their last match, in a five-set thriller (25–17, 23–25, 28–30, 25–23, 15–13), the narrow defeat was just enough to earn them a crucial one point to avoid relegation.
Thai captain Ajcharaporn Kongyot had her best performance of the tournament and stepped up when her team needed her the most, contributing 27 big points (26 attacks, 1 ace), while Pimpichaya Kokram marked an impressive 23-point performance.
“I’m very proud of our team because we managed to stay in the VNL after going through so much adversity this season. We had some injuries and other things going on with the team, but we still could achieve our goal,” emotional Kongyot said.
As South Korea faced relegation, they will make their debut in the Asian counterpart of the VNL, the Asian Volleyball Nations Cup, where the Philippines recently bagged the silver medal. With South Korea’s entry, the tournament will anticipate a higher level of competition.
The highest-ranked team who is not yet qualified for the 2026 VNL will replace South Korea in the next edition of the VNL. | via Clarence Concepcion | Photo via Volleyball World
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