Thailand bow out of VNL 2025 with narrow loss to Canada but avoid relegation
Despite a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Canada in the early hours of Monday, Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team secured their place in next year’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), narrowly escaping relegation.
The Thai spikers lost 2-3 sets (25-17, 23-25, 28-30, 25-23, 13-15) to their Canadian counterparts at College Park Centre in Arlington, United States, with the match kicking off at 3am Thailand time.
Although Thailand were unable to end their VNL campaign on a winning note, the one point earned from this five-set battle proved crucial.
It lifted them from the bottom of the table to 17th place, finishing the tournament with one win, 11 losses, and a total of six points—just enough to stay up. South Korea, with five points, slipped to the bottom and were relegated instead.
Under the guidance of coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, Thailand fielded their full-strength squad, including Pornpun Guedpard, Pimpichaya Kokram, and Ajcharaporn Kongyot.
The Thais made a flying start, racing to a 7-0 lead before comfortably taking the first set 25-17. However, Canada responded in the second and third sets, edging Thailand 25-23 and 30-28 to take a 2-1 lead.
Thailand fought back valiantly in the fourth set, narrowly winning 25-23 to level the match and secure a vital point that guaranteed their VNL survival regardless of the final result.
In the deciding fifth set, the two sides traded points evenly, but Canada managed to clinch the win with a tight 15-13 finish.
Although Thailand missed out on a closing victory, they have successfully secured their spot in next season’s VNL. The team will now regroup and begin preparations for the upcoming campaign.
