Vietnam Women's Volleyball Team Faces 'Strange' Asian Cup Schedule, Early Mornings Required

The Vietnamese women's volleyball team is gearing up for the AVC Nations Cup 2026 in Candon, Philippines, where they will defend their title for a fourth consecutive year. However, their campaign is marked by a peculiar and challenging schedule.

All five of Vietnam's preliminary round matches are scheduled for 8 AM local time, a stark contrast to the typical afternoon start times common in international volleyball tournaments. This early start necessitates players waking between 5:30 AM and 6 AM, a significant adjustment that coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet acknowledges as a potential hurdle.

"The team's schedule starts at 8 AM, so the girls have to wake up from 5:30 to 6 AM and then go to the court," Kiet stated. "I don't know yet how far the hotel is from the stadium, so this is a challenge for the players at the tournament."

Adding to the perceived imbalance, the host nation, the Philippines, enjoys a significantly more favorable schedule, with all their matches set for 9 PM local time. Matches in Group A, which includes the Philippines, generally start later in the day, with the earliest beginning at 3 PM. In contrast, Group B, where Vietnam competes, frequently features early morning games at 8 AM and 11 AM.

Despite these scheduling challenges, Vietnam remains focused on its goal of securing a fourth consecutive AVC Nations Cup championship. They will face tough opponents, including Kazakhstan and Iran, and a particularly strong challenge from South Korea, a team that was relegated from the Volleyball Nations League last year. While Vietnam has had success against South Korea in the past, those matches were often hard-fought, indicating that the Korean team remains a formidable competitor.

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The team's schedule starts at 8 AM, so the girls have to wake up from 5:30 to 6 AM and then go to the court. I don't know yet how far the hotel is from the stadium, so this is a challenge for the players at the tournament.