Indonesia Falls 0-3 to Chinese Taipei at AVC U-18 Men's Championship

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian U-18 men’s national volleyball team suffered a straight-set defeat to Chinese Taipei in Group A of the AVC U-18 Men's Championship, losing 0–3 with tight scores of 30–32, 16–25, and 24–26.

Despite showing strong resistance, Indonesia failed to capitalize on crucial moments to extend the match. The second group-stage encounter took place at Haikou Wuyuanhe Gymnasium in Haikou, China, on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Head coach Odyk Hermanto admitted his team’s performance was far from optimal, citing the physical condition of key players as a major setback. “Our key player, Dito, was unwell, so his performance was not at its best,” Odyk said.

He added that the squad’s mentality had dropped significantly, leading to hesitation in making important decisions. Indonesia had previously lost 1–3 to China in their opening match on Sunday, July 12, 2026.

“The players’ mental state was poor. They were afraid to make decisions, which disrupted the game. Compared to yesterday's match against China, today’s performance was much weaker,” he explained.

Odyk noted that instructions given during morning training did not translate into effective execution on the court. Plans to strengthen defensive coverage failed to materialize during the match.

“What we worked on in practice this morning to improve cover defense did not carry over. This shows the players were mentally not in good condition,” he said.

He also acknowledged that player rotation had not delivered the intended impact. While the strategy aimed to restore physical fitness, it only provided temporary improvement before performance levels dropped again.

“We rotated players to aid recovery, but the effect was short-lived. After that, performance declined again,” Odyk remarked.

Still, he praised the team’s effort, noting they struggled to adapt quickly to the opponent’s tactics. Indonesia’s defense remained vulnerable at the net, as Chinese Taipei’s players had superior height and reach.

“The players fought well, but they were slow to adapt at the start. Our blocking was weak because the opponents had taller players with longer reach. Our defensive formation was also not tight enough,” he said.

Indonesia is scheduled to play their final group-stage match against Hong Kong on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. A decisive win is crucial to improve their standing in the tightly contested Group A.

The top two teams in each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will compete for positions nine through sixteen.

The four semifinalists will earn the right to represent Asia at the 2027 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) U-19 World Championship. The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) tournament features 16 participating nations from July 12 to 18, 2026. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)