Team Kazakhstan at the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup. Volleyball World
CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Kazakhstan scored a historic upset at the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup.
The Kazakhs dealt powerhouse Vietnam its first loss since 2023, 18-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13, halting the Southeast Asian country’s 23-game winning streak which lasted for four editions of the tourney on Friday at the Candon City Arena here.
Vietnam remained undefeated in all of these tournaments: 2023 AVC Challenge Cup, 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, and 2025 AVC Nations Cup — and was perfect for four game dates in the 2026 AVC Cup, until its matchup against Kazakhstan.
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Kristina Belova and Zhanna Syroyeshkina spearheaded Kazakhstan’s attack against Vietnam, tallying 21 points each, while Tatyana Yatskiv added 20 markers.
With Vietnam ahead 2-1, the Kazakhs didn’t falter in Set 4 as they forced a rubber set.
The Kazakhs tried to pull away in Set 5, but a Vo Thi Kim Thoa ace eventually tied the match at 11-apiece.
Yuliya Fomenko and Belova led Kazakhstan to match point, 14-11, but Vietnam wasn’t going down easily, as Tran Thi Thanh Thuy fired an attack, and a Belova error kept the Southeast Asians in the hunt.
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That’s when Yatskiv stepped up, clinching the last point with an off-the-block hit that completed the massive escape from the defending champions.
With the win, Kazakhstan finishes on top of Pool B with a 5-0 win-loss card, while Vietnam is second with a 4-1 slate.
Tran Thi Thanh Thuy exploded for 25 points, which all came from attacks, to pace her side.
Kazakhstan faces the second-ranked squad from Pool A, while Vietnam aims to bounce back against the top seed of the first group of the competition presented by the PSC, FIVB, AVC, Volleyball World and Candon City headed by Mayor Eric Singson.
The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at the same venue.