RRI.CO.ID, Hanoi - The Indonesian women’s national volleyball team suffered a 1–3 defeat against Thailand in the opening match of the SEA V Cup 2026. The match took place at Dong Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Friday, July 31.

Garuda Pertiwi went down with scores of 21–25, 34–32, 21–25, and 19–25. Indonesia managed to level the match in the second set but struggled to maintain consistency in the following two sets.

Head coach fielded Namira Marandanti, Chelsa Berliana, Medi Yoku, Ersandrina Devega, Tisya Amallya, and Azzahra Dwi from the start. Thailand’s Ajcharaporn Kongyot immediately tested Indonesia’s defense with sharp and precise attacking combinations.

Team manager Luciana Taroreh reflected on the tough contest, noting how both sides battled point-for-point beyond the usual 25-point threshold. “Thailand showed their quality with solid, disciplined play and very few errors,” Luciana said.

She acknowledged that Indonesia’s varied attacks and serves had troubled the Thai defense at times. However, Thailand capitalized on lapses in Indonesia’s backline to reclaim momentum in the third set.

“Several unforced errors at crucial points prevented us from sustaining the momentum we had built,” she added.

Despite the loss, Luciana praised the team’s fighting spirit and motivation, which remained high throughout. Thailand’s consistency ultimately sealed the fourth set 25–19.

“Facing Thailand provides valuable experience for our team’s development and performance improvement going forward,” she emphasized.

She explained that the coaching staff immediately shifted focus to evaluation ahead of the next match against Vietnam. Indonesia will face the host nation in their upcoming fixture.

“The team’s current priority is to address weaknesses while maintaining physical and mental readiness to deliver better results,” Luciana concluded. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)