Vietnamese women's volleyball star bids farewell to Mongolian runner-up club

This exceptionally tall spiker has concluded a remarkable journey in Central Asia.

Middle blocker Ly Thi Luyen officially ended her first overseas stint in Mongolia, helping Hobby Ace secure the runner-up position in the country's national championship.

On February 9th, Hobby Ace's official Facebook page posted a short video showing Ly Thi Luyen at the airport returning home. Some Hobby Ace teammates were there to say goodbye to the Vietnamese middle blocker, with one even moved to tears.

Her brief time in this Central Asian country was enough for Ly Thi Luyen to win the hearts of her teammates and make a professional impact. Standing an impressive 1.95 meters tall, Ly Luyen strengthened Hobby Ace’s blocking line, helping the team excel and reach the Mongolian National Championship final for the first time in four years.

Unfortunately, facing a strong Mintonette Gobi team, Ly Thi Luyen and her teammates could not cause an upset, losing the best-of-seven final series 2-4 (the first team to win 4 matches becomes champion).

Born in 2000, Ly Thi Luyen is currently the tallest player on the Vietnamese women's volleyball team. She is registered with Laocai Sports Department and was last called up to the national team in 2023.

Hobby Ace was Ly Luyen’s first foreign club in her career. In 2024, the 25-year-old middle blocker attended tryouts for the Korean National Championship along with teammates Tran Tu Linh and Tran Thi Bich Thuy, but none were selected. By late 2024 and early 2025, Bich Thuy was recruited by GS Caltex Seoul Kixx and has performed excellently there.