The Ukrainian women's national volleyball team secured their second victory in the prestigious 2026 Volleyball Nations League. In the first match of the second round, Ivan Petkov's team defeated the hosts, the Thailand national team, in a tense five-set thriller. The match, held in Bangkok, was a true test of endurance for both sides.
A fight for survival in every set
The start of the match was difficult for the Ukrainians: the hosts immediately took a four-point lead (9:5). However, the 'blue-and-yellows' showed character, tied the score in the middle of the set (17:17), and snatched the set — 25:23. The second set was played more confidently by the representatives of Thailand (25:19), restoring parity in sets.
The third segment of the game turned into a real fight for survival — ultimately, the Ukrainians squeezed out their opponents with a score of 28:26. In the fourth set, the Thais fought back again (25:22), taking the match to a tense tie-break.
The decisive surge and triumph
In the decisive shortened set, the Ukrainian national team stunned their opponents with a starting surge — 6:0. Thailand tried to get back into the game, but our girls played excellently in defense and at the block, finishing the match in their favor — 15:10.
The most productive player for Ukraine was the opposite hitter Valeriia Nudga, who scored 18 points. Before this match, the Ukrainians had only one victory to their credit (also in a tie-break against Germany).
Tournament standing and upcoming challenges
The victory in Bangkok allowed the 'blue-and-yellows' to move up one line in the overall tournament table — at the moment, our team has 5 points after five rounds played.
The Ukrainian national team has almost no time to recover. The next match in the Volleyball Nations League will be played tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, against the super-strong Polish national team. The starting whistle will sound at 13:00 Kyiv time.