'Missing' in 2025, Vietnamese women's volleyball player draws attention from Thai fans

Thai volleyball fans have shown special interest in the Vietnamese women's volleyball team following the SEA Games 33 championship match.

Vietnamese women's volleyball outside hitter Trần Tú Linh unexpectedly caught the attention of Thai fans after not participating with the national team in international tournaments throughout 2025.

Recently, in the StarVolleyball4 group, which gathers many Thai volleyball enthusiasts, a user posted: "Where has this Vietnamese girl gone? She played really well. Is she injured?"

In the comments, several accounts explained Tú Linh’s situation, praised the outside hitter from Hà Tĩnh, but also expressed doubts about her potential return to the national team.

"Injury and disappearance."

"Tú Linh played very well, is smart, and also charming. But she got injured and it’s uncertain if she can come back."

"Tú Linh has a knee injury now."

After the busy 2024 season, Trần Tú Linh showed signs of overload and sustained an injury, no longer maintaining her best form. On April 15 this year, Tú Linh was confirmed to undergo surgery and only recently resumed training a few days ago.

Before the serious injury, Trần Tú Linh was one of the top outside hitters of Vietnamese women's volleyball, a regular choice of coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt for major competitions. Her most notable strength was her defense and first touch, alongside a smart and skillful attacking style.

With Tú Linh on the court, the team's first touch — often a concern for coach Tuấn Kiệt — was much more reliable, easing the burden on libero Nguyễn Khánh Đang and outside hitter Trần Thị Thanh Thúy.

Without Tú Linh, coach Tuấn Kiệt experimented with various options: Nguyễn Thị Uyên, Nguyễn Thị Phương, Bùi Thị Ánh Thảo, and even called up outside hitter Hoàng Hồng Hạnh — Linh’s teammate from the Lào Cai Bronze Medal team — during the pre-SEA Games training camp. Ultimately, the best choice for the Vietnamese women's team was Vi Thị Như Quỳnh partnering with Thanh Thúy, with the "4T" trusted to handle the first touch for the team.