The Thai women's national volleyball team aims to defeat two major nations at VNL 2026 Stage 3.
On 28 June 2026, the Thai women's national volleyball team prepared to compete in the 2026 Nations League (VNL 2026) Stage 3 in Osaka, Japan, from 8 to 12 July, resuming training.
Pornpun Guedpard, the Thai national team's setter and captain, said, "For Stage 3, the competition is quite tough because we'll face the USA, Japan, Brazil, and Turkey — all top-level teams. But we believe we can compete well and aim to secure wins against these teams in Week 3."
"These teams have strong defense, good blocking, and excellent counterattacks. Therefore, we need to play more precisely. Every point is crucial, and we must find ways to disrupt their rhythm so they can't adapt to our game. We believe focusing on improving our own team is key. Right now, the team feels more solid and ready to fight in Week 3."
"We really want to beat the USA in the first match because our team is fresh and well-prepared. For the second match against Japan, we also aim to win as everyone agrees that if possible, we'd like to defeat Japan. Their strength lies in their power and endurance throughout the game. Their players support each other, almost like having both an A and B team. Even if they start with one lineup in the first set, they can change it up in the second set to shift the momentum. We don't know who they will send before the finals, but we think they'll bring their best squad since the tournament is in Asia. They likely won't fly back to their country but stay in Asia to prepare for the next round."
"Regarding the world rankings, we feel we've done well, climbing up three spots after previously dropping. We're satisfied so far and believe we can do even better because this year is just the start of our national team schedule. There are still many tournaments where we can earn more points."
Thai women's volleyball schedule at VNL 2026 Stage 3 in Japan.
8 July 2026 (13:30) – Thailand vs. USA
9 July 2026 (17:20) – Japan vs. Thailand
11 July 2026 (13:30) – Thailand vs. Brazil
12 July 2026 (13:30) – Thailand vs. Turkey