Relegation pressure is posing a major challenge for the Sanest Khanh Hoa men's volleyball team in round 2 of the 2026 Ca Mau Fertilizer Cup National Volleyball Championship (taking place from October 28 to November 8 at Phu Tho Gymnasium, Ho Chi Minh City). This journey is not easy for coach Ngo Van Kieu and his players, but with the burning desire of the young squad, along with the timely reinforcement of a foreign player, Sanest Khanh Hoa are showing determination and fighting hard to secure their place in the top flight.
Squad reinforcements
The biggest challenge for the Sanest Khanh Hoa team at present is squad depth. This was clearly demonstrated in round 1 (back in April), when Sanest Khanh Hoa, with a lineup mostly made up of young players, failed to cause any surprises, suffering consecutive defeats against opponents such as The Cong Tan Cang, Bien Phong MB, LP Bank Ninh Binh, Ha Noi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City Police. Entering round 2 at Phu Tho Gymnasium, Sanest Khanh Hoa's goal is to fight to avoid relegation. Mr. Ngo Van Kieu, head coach of the Sanest Khanh Hoa team, said: “The team's current lineup mostly consists of players promoted from the youth squad. The players do not lack enthusiasm, but experience at the top level cannot be gained overnight. This is the biggest gap between Sanest Khanh Hoa and our opponents.” To prepare for round 2, the team has bolstered its squad by signing and borrowing players from Long An and Ho Chi Minh City teams.
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| Players of the Sanest Khanh Hoa volleyball team during a training session at the provincial Sports Training and Coaching Center. |
The brightest spot in Sanest Khanh Hoa's lineup for round 2 is the signing of foreign player Nathan Masso Mendoza (21 years old, Cuban). Nathan Masso Mendoza stands 2.3m tall with a spike reach of 3.6m, plays as an outside hitter, was called up to the Cuban national team in 2026, and played for the Cuba U21 team. The presence of this foreign player is expected to help Sanest Khanh Hoa improve their scoring efficiency in attack. In addition, Sanest Khanh Hoa welcomes the return of national team player Tang Ngoc Hieu, the player wearing jersey number 7 who has just completed his national team duty competing at ASIAD 20. The combination of Nathan Masso Mendoza and Tang Ngoc Hieu promises to bring fresh momentum to Sanest Khanh Hoa's attack in their fight for relegation survival.
The battle to avoid relegation
Reportedly, at the end of Round 1, Sanest Khanh Hoa sat at the bottom of the table (with a record of 1 win and 6 losses). The only victory for Coach Ngo Van Kieu and his team came against Ho Chi Minh City (with a score of 3-0). With this result, the team's chance to "turn things around" and escape the "relegation playoff" group in Round 2 is practically gone. Facing that reality, Coach Ngo Van Kieu views the upcoming 7 qualifying matches of Round 2 as practical combat training sessions, creating opportunities for the young players to gain experience and composure, rather than spending heavily on lengthy training camps. All physical peaking and the team's utmost focus will be concentrated on the 2 decisive "relegation playoff" matches.
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| Athletes of the Sanest Khanh Hoa volleyball team during a training session at the Provincial Sports Training and Coaching Center. |
According to the regulations, this season has only 1 relegation spot, and the battle to stay up is likely to be decided in the match between Sanest Khanh Hoa and Da Nang. Although the Ho Chi Minh City and LP Bank Ninh Binh teams also belong to the lower group, they are actively bolstering their squads with high-quality foreign players, with Ho Chi Minh City recruiting two hitters, Armin Afshin Far (Iran) and Chan Veasna (Cuba). Thus, assessing objectively, Sanest Khanh Hoa is weak in terms of squad depth. However, that does not mean hope of staying in the top flight is lost for Coach Ngo Van Kieu and his team. In decisive matches for relegation survival, if Nathan Masso Mendoza steps up at the right time, Tang Ngoc Hieu regains his form, and the young players demonstrate their inherent never-give-up spirit, Sanest Khanh Hoa could produce a surprise.
P.H
