The outside hitter delivered 21 points as the Asians swept Bulgaria in front of their home fans in Bangkok
Published 06:17, 18 Jun 2026
Thai players celebrate their victory in front of 5,000 home fans
Pushed by a passionate crowd of more than 5,000 people, Thailand got to celebrate the first victory in their Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2026 campaign in style on Thursday in Bangkok.
Coming from defeats in their first five matches, the Asians delivered their best performance so far in the tournament and dominated Bulgaria, winning 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17) and repaying the support of their fans.
Thailand vs. Bulgaria - Highlights | Women's VNL 2026
The long-awaited victory helped the Thais get some separation from the bottom of the VNL 2026 standings, as they now appear in 14th place with six points - they were previously 17th.
Sasipapron Janthawisut was the main name in Thailand's first victory in the VNL 2026. The 29-year-old outside hitter was excellent offensively for them, leading the team with 21 points (15 kills, three blocks, three aces). Star opposite Pimpichaya Kokram came next with 18 points (16 kills, one block, one ace) scored.
"We've been working very hard, and I'm happy that today we managed to win," Sasipapron reflected. "We knew we could do it, and today everyone got to play at their best. The fans give us a lot of support, and it means a lot for us to see them happy with our success."
Now ranked 17th in the VNL, Bulgaria had outside hitters Miroslava Paskova and Aleksandra Milanova splitting the team's scoring load - each of them registered 11 points.
The other match of the day in Bangkok had Poland topping Ukraine 3-1 (25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23). Star opposite Magdalena Stysiak was in top form and produced an impressive 29 points (27 kills, two blocks) for the winners.
Another two matches are set to take place in the Thai capital on Friday, with Ukraine and the Netherlands starting the day at 17:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and Bulgaria and Canada ending it at 20:30 (13:30 GMT).
In Ankara, VNL 2026 leaders Brazil were strongly challenged by Belgium, but managed to remain undefeated and to keep the top spot in the standings with a hard-fought, come-from-behind 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13) victory.
Outside hitter Julia Bergmann led Brazil's offense with a team-high 19 points (17 kills, two blocks). VNL's top scorer and Belgian opposite Pauline Martin tallied 22 points (20 kills, two blocks) for the Europeans.
Later, hosts Türkiye got the job done in straight sets against France, triumphing 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-20). Star opposite Melissa Vargas topped all scorers with 21 points (19 kills, two aces).
On Friday, the French play China at 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT), while the Belgians meet Germany at 19:30 (16:30 GMT).
In Pasig City, the Philippines, second-placed Italy and third-placed the United States were the winners of the matches held on Thursday.
The Italians needed five sets and a lot of drama to avoid a Serbian reverse sweep and win 3-2 (25-14, 25-15, 18-25, 21-25, 15-12).
Serbia 🇷🇸 vs. Italy 🇮🇹 - Highlights | Week 2 | Women's VNL 2026
One of four Italian players to get to double digits in scoring, opposite Josephine Obossa was their most productive player with 18 points (15 wins, three blocks). The match's top scorer was Serbian outside hitter Nina Čajić, who registered 19 points (17 kills, one block, one ace).
The American victory was much smoother and faster, as they counted on 15 points (14 kills, one block) from Olympic champion opposite Jordan Thompson to beat Czechia 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-16).
Italians and Americans will be off on Friday, when the Dominican Republic and Serbia play at 16:00 local time (8:00 GMT) and Japan and Czechia meet at 20:00 (12:00 GMT).
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