CANDON, Ilocos Sur – Kazakhstan ended once-invincible Vietnam’s long-standing dominance in the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup, handing them their first loss and snapping a remarkable 23-game winning streak with a dramatic five-set victory, 18-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13, on Friday at the Candon City Arena here.
After three years of unbeaten runs in the tournament, Vietnam finally met its match as Kazakhstan held its nerve in a tense decider.
The team refused to yield in a thrilling finish that brought the Southeast Asian powerhouse’s historic streak to a stunning halt, in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The victory secured Kazakhstan the top seed in Pool B with a perfect 5-0 record, while also earning sweet revenge over Vietnam, which had beaten them in the 2024 gold medal match and eliminated them in the semifinals last year.
“We did a lot of work for these games, we worked hard for this win. We tried something new, and this is the result,” said team captain and playmaker Natalya Khazova after the emotional win.
With Vietnam clinging to a 9-7 lead after a thunderous backrow blast from Trần Thị Thanh Thúy, Kazakhstan refused to fold, erupting with four straight points — three of them powered by Kristina Belova — to seize control at 11-9.
The momentum swung like a pendulum. Nhu Anh Le struck back with a quick running attack, and Võ Thị Kim Thoa followed it up with a searing ace to level the score at 11-all. The streak reignited hopes of another Vietnam escape.
But Kazakhstan would not be denied. They surged once more, carving out a 14-11 match-point cushion behind a 3-0 run that seemed to tilt the game in their favor.
Vietnam, however, still had one last breath, as T4 drilled a clutch down-the-line hit and a Belova attack sailed wide to cut the gap to just one.
The comeback flickered, but Kazakhstan held firm. Tatyana Yatskiv delivered the final decisive blow to slam the door shut on the defending champions’ resistance and secure the biggest win yet of the tournament co-presented by the FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World, and Candon City headed by Mayor Eric Singson.
“It was the work of each player, and we worked together. We just wanted to win this game, that’s all,” said Belova, who finished with 21 points on 19 attacks and two kill blocks, as Kazakhstan climbed back from a 1-2 set deficit.
Zhanna Syroyeshkina also finished with 21 points on 15 attacks and six service aces for the Kazakhs. Yatskiv hammered down 17 attacks to go along with two blocks and one ace for 20 points.
On the other hand, T4 powered Vietnam — which settled for the second seed with a 4-1 record — with a game-high 25 points, all from attacks.
Thi Bich Thuy Tran put up her best showing of the tournament with 17 points on 11 attacks and six blocks, while Thi Thuy Dinh finished with 16 points built on 12 attacks, three blocks, and one ace.
