Đặng Thị Hồng makes a comeback

The young outside hitter from Thái Nguyên still receives a lot of interest from volleyball enthusiasts in Vietnam.

Recently, the young outside hitter Đặng Thị Hồng unexpectedly appeared at an amateur volleyball tournament held in Thái Nguyên during the recent Lunar New Year, drawing great attention from local fans. Having already been widely followed — both before and after receiving a heavy penalty from the Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) — the participation of the former Bắc Kạn native quickly became the center of attention.

Photos of Đặng Hồng playing and posing with fans present at the venue were widely shared on social media platforms.

Of course, Đặng Thị Hồng’s appearance was purely for friendly play and to keep her skills sharp while maintaining professional connections. After being banned from competing in VFV-sanctioned events, the former star of Vietnam’s U21 women’s volleyball team said farewell to the professional arena.

The ex-outside hitter, born in 2006, was later given opportunities to attend university and shift her career towards coaching. Additionally, she sells sports products online via TikTok to support her living expenses.

Before retiring from professional play, Đặng Thị Hồng was a prominent star in Thái Nguyên volleyball and Vietnam overall. Despite lacking remarkable height, her impressive approach jump and powerful spikes made her a fan favorite. Her playing style is often compared to Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền, whom the 19-year-old also regards as one of her biggest idols.

At the national level, Đặng Thị Hồng represented youth teams and played a key role in helping Vietnam’s U20 squad reach the top 5 at the Asian Championship, earning a historic spot at the U21 World Championship. Although the journey was not perfect, and even influenced her early retirement decision,Đặng Hồng still left a strong impression.

At the club level, Đặng Thị Hồng was the leading star of Thái Nguyên in the national A league, and she also shone while playing on loan for LPB Ninh Bình and VietinBank.