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–Vietnam stunned Belgium, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, to salvage the bronze medal in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
Ace hitter Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen exploded for 35 points on 34 hits as the Vietnamese, world No. 34, stood their ground in completing an upset of the world No. 13 Belgians.
The win made up for Vietnam’s 19-25, 14-24, 19-25, loss against world No. 16 Czechia in the semifinals to become the only Asian squad in the podium.
It’s a strong follow-up to the Vietnamese’ championship last May in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup, which was also hosted by the country led by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara at the nearby Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
