Update on "Mome Thanatcha," Thai women's volleyball outside hitter: How long will her rest be, and will it affect Thailand's participation in VNL 2026?
On 25 Feb 2026 GMT+7, "Mome" Thanatcha Suksod, an outside hitter for the Thai women's national volleyball team and a key player for Korea Expressway Hi-Pass, suffered a right ankle sprain after landing on an opponent's foot following a block jump during the fifth set of a big match in the South Korean volleyball league.
In that game, Hi-Pass not only lost a key player at a crucial moment but also narrowly fell 2-3 in sets to Hyundai Hillstate. This defeat allowed Hyundai to increase their points to 58, closing the gap with the league leader to just 2 points, keeping the race for the regular season championship intensely competitive.
Recently, Hi-Pass updated on Thanatcha's injury: doctors diagnosed a torn ligament on the outside of her right ankle. The expected recovery and rehabilitation period is about 6 to 8 weeks, or roughly 1 to 2 months, making it highly likely she will miss this season's playoff matches.
However, thesportstimes reported that Thanatcha is determined to return to play as soon as possible. If the ankle swelling subsides, she will begin non-surgical rehabilitation. Should treatment proceed as planned and pain lessen, her recovery time might be shortened to approximately 3 to 4 weeks.
The key factor is the special schedule: playoffs start on 26 March and the finals on 1 April, leaving about 4 to 5 weeks for recovery. If her condition improves well, she may still have a chance to return and contribute during the crucial end of the season.
Currently, Hi-Pass holds a record of 21 wins and 10 losses with 60 points, leading the league. Five regular season matches remain as they aim to finish first and automatically qualify for the finals.
Regarding the Thai national team, this injury is not expected to have much impact since her recovery period falls within a timeframe that allows her to be fit before the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League, scheduled from 3 June to 26 July 2026.