Thailand impresses despite defeat to US in VNL 2025 opener
Thailand women's volleyball team fights hard but falls to US 1-3 in VNL 2025 Week 3 opener
In the opening match of Week 3 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL), held in Arlington, Texas, US, the Thailand women's volleyball team, ranked 19th in the world, gave it their all but lost to the host team, the United States, ranked 7th globally.
The match took place on the morning of July 10, 2025, under the guidance of head coach "Coach Ott," Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai.
Looking at the teams' past encounters, Thailand has yet to win a match in their last seven meetings with the US. The last victory for Thailand dates back to the 2009 World Grand Prix, where they triumphed 3-2.
Thailand's starting six were Pornpun Guedpard, Thatdao Nuekjang, Thanacha Sooksod, Pimpichaya Kokram, Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Piyanut Pannoy.
In the first set, Thailand began with a fast-paced game, using both the outside and quick balls to challenge the height and power of the American team. The two teams exchanged points, with Thailand leading 8-7. However, the US's Avery Skinner and fast players Dana Rettke and Asia O'Neal pulled ahead, extending the lead to 16-12. Thailand fought back to level at 23-23 and then 24-24, but eventually lost 28-26, giving the US a 1-0 set lead.
In the second set, the USA made a tactical change, bringing in Danielle Cuttino to pair with Avery Skinner for powerful attacks. Thailand continued to use fast attacks from Thatdao and Pimpichaya to lead 8-7, then 13-11 and 18-16. Despite the US's strong blocking, Thailand maintained their advantage and won the set 25-21, tying the match at 1-1.
The third set saw both teams battling closely, with the US substituting Brianna Butler for faster attacks. Thailand responded with quick plays from Thatdao, Pimphichaya, and Wimonrat Thanapan. The set remained tight, with both teams tied at 19-19 and 24-24. However, the US edged ahead and won 27-25, taking a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth set, the US surged ahead, leading 8-5. Thailand struggled against the US's high and powerful blocks, and errors put them behind 6-14. Despite a late rally to 13-20, Thailand couldn’t close the gap and ultimately lost 15-25, giving the US a 3-1 victory.
Final score: Thailand 1-3 US (26-28, 25-21, 25-27, 15-25). With this result, Thailand's record stands at 1 win and 8 losses, earning 5 points, ranked 17th out of 18 teams. The US now has 5 wins and 4 losses, accumulating 14 points.
"Coach Ott" Kiattipong shared his thoughts after the match, saying, “It was a great game. Our players learned a lot from it. We almost had the first three sets, but we didn’t capitalise on our chances well enough. The game we were hoping for didn’t come together fully. However, what stood out today was the spirit of our athletes. They showed tremendous spirit in their competition, and I’d like to thank the Thai fans, as well as the international supporters, who came to the stadium and cheered us on. Their support made us happy. I believe this game will be a valuable lesson for the upcoming matches.”
He added, “In the next three matches, we will work to improve every aspect, tightening up and addressing our mistakes. I want to commend all the athletes for fighting with full spirit in the competition. I hope everyone will carry this into tomorrow’s game and the remaining two matches.”
Eric Sullivan, head coach of the US team, acknowledged the strong performance of the Thailand team , admitting that Thailand's efforts were frustrating him at times. He also praised his own players for their resilience in securing the win.
Sullivan said, “I really liked how we fought in this match. I have to give credit to Thailand; they are a team with a very good system. Once they get into their rhythm, they’re really tough to handle. Today, they frustrated us several times. I’m proud of my players for staying patient, sticking to our game plan, and ultimately finding a way to win at the end.”
He also highlighted the importance of serving and receiving serves, particularly in the final set. “I think we were able to apply more pressure on Thai team, making it harder for them to stay in their system and forcing more mistakes.”
The Thailand women's volleyball team will play their second match against Germany on Friday, July 10, 2025, at 4am Thailand time.
VNL 2025 Top 5 and World Ranking Update
The latest FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 standings show:
Top 5 VNL Teams (Updated):
- Italy – 25 points
- Poland – 24 points
- Brazil – 23 points
- Turkey – 22 points
- Japan – 21 points
After their loss to the United States, Thailand’s world ranking dropped slightly by 0.01 points. Thailand now has a total of 173.09 points, placing it 19th in the world according to the latest FIVB rankings.
Top 10 World Rankings:
- Italy – 457.49
- Brazil – 417.93
- Turkey – 373.03
- Poland – 369.05
- Japan – 349.49
- China – 346.83
- USA – 338.11
- Netherlands – 258.10
- Dominican Republic – 253.94
- Serbia – 240.25
19. Thailand – 173.09
