Thailand fell to United States in four sets in the opening match of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League 2024 at the Maracanazinho stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Wednesday.
Besides their diversified offence, blocking was another key factor in the American victory as the Olympic champions outscored Thailand by 12-1 in that skill.
Opposite Pimpichaya Kokram was Thailand’s leading scorer with 14 points (13 kills, one ace), followed by outside hitter Chatchu-On Moksri, who produced 13, all in kills.
“We were very excited to start our VNL campaign and to play the USA,” said Pimpichaya. “They have very good blocking and today our passing wasn’t as efficient and that made things harder for us. We will try to enjoy every match here because that’s when we play better.”
Opposite hitter Madisen Skinner, playing the first international match of her career, led the American offence with 20 points after registering 13 kills, four blocks and three aces.
Outside hitters Alexandra Frantti had 14 points while Madisen’s older sister Avery scored 11.
The outcome of the Pool 2 match had little impact on the FIVB World Rankings, adding 0.8 points to the second-ranked United States and subtracting the same amount from 13th-ranked Thailand.
Guaranteed a place in the top eight of the tournament as the host of the 2024 Finals from June 20-23 in Bangkok, Thailand are aiming to produce their best result in the tournament this year.
They are still involved in the race to qualify for the Olympics in Paris, and will need good results in the first weeks of action to keep their dream alive.
The five remaining Olympic places will be decided using the FIVB rankings as of June 2024, prioritising countries from continents that do not yet have qualified teams in the Olympic tournament.
Thailand, coached by Nataphon Srisamutnak, will play their second game against world champions Serbia. The match will begin at midnight Friday night Thailand time.