Not only scoring the most points, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy also leads in a surprising statistic against Indonesia.

Vietnam's women's volleyball team edged past Indonesia 3-2 in a nail-biting match at the 2026 AVC Cup, showcasing Tran Thi Thanh Thuy's pivotal contribution on both offense and defense.

Thanh Thuy tops the list in... first-touch reception.

Looking at the scoreboard, the Vietnamese captain and Vi Thi Nhu Quynh were the top scorers with 22 points each. However, a more notable statistic lies in a less-discussed area: Thanh Thuy was the best and most frequent receiver of first touches for Vietnam, even surpassing libero Nguyen Khanh Dang.

According to official match stats, Thanh Thuy made 33 first-touch receptions. Among these, 12 were rated perfect, 21 were safe, and notably, she committed no errors. This is an impressive record for a spiker, especially given her primary role as the team's main attacker.

Behind Thanh Thuy was libero Khanh Dang with 28 receptions. Nguyen Thi Uyen had 22, Doan Thi Xuan had 7, while Nhu Anh, Dinh Thuy, and Nhu Quynh each contributed only one.

Typically, the libero is primarily responsible for first-touch receptions. Therefore, it is quite surprising that a spiker leads the team in both participation and effectiveness in this area. This reflects the immense pressure Thanh Thuy had to shoulder in the match against Indonesia.

On the court, it was clear that Indonesia had thoroughly studied Vietnam's playing style. The Indonesian team consistently applied pressure with difficult serves, forcing Thanh Thuy to drop deep for receptions frequently. At many moments, she had to complete a reception and immediately move to execute an attack from the wing.

Despite sharing her energy across multiple tasks, Thanh Thuy still scored 22 points, including 21 attack points and 1 block, with a 36.8% attack efficiency. Only Le Nhu Anh had a higher attack efficiency at 68.4%, but in terms of overall workload on the court, the Vietnamese captain remained the most crucial link in Coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's system.

In this match, Vi Thi Nhu Quynh also shone with 22 points, including 2 aces and 1 block. Le Nhu Anh contributed 15 points, while Tran Thi Bich Thuy added 11. The balanced attack from multiple sources helped Vietnam overcome difficulties and win 15-13 in the decisive set.

Nevertheless, the reception statistics underscore Thanh Thuy's unique value. Not only is she the top scorer, but she also serves as the first line of defense, helping Vietnam get through one of the toughest matches since the start of the 2026 AVC Cup. This is clear evidence of the all-around class of the 1997-born spiker, who remains the irreplaceable leader of Vietnamese women's volleyball.