With impressive performances in tournaments at both club and youth levels, striker Dang Thi Hong of the Thai Nguyen women's team was loaned to defending champion LPB Ninh Binh for the second phase of the 2024 National Volleyball Championship.
There was no awkwardness, instead, the 2006-born player showed great maturity when playing with her seniors in the Ancient Capital team. Although only 1m68 tall, Dang Thi Hong has the ability to jump very high. The young main attacker's attacking moves and jumps often over the opponent's block. She attacked powerfully, not only using flexible swings with great force but also showing her intelligence, actively changing the ball to score points.
In addition, Dang Thi Hong always impresses fans with her aggressiveness and strength on the field. She saves and blocks the ball in every situation. This is the reason why coach Thai Thanh Tung often gives her the opportunity to play from the beginning in this year's tournament. Dang Thi Hong combined with Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen to become the No. 1 scoring duo for LPB Ninh Binh team.
Dang Thi Hong's enthusiasm and aggressiveness contributed to LPB Ninh Binh's victories against Quang Ninh (3-2) and the Signal Corps (3-2).
However, despite her daily growth, Dang Thi Hong is still a young player, so her mentality and experience still need to be discussed. At some points, the main striker from Bac Kan clearly showed signs of mentality, revealing weaknesses in the first step and allowing the opponent to exploit them.
In the second round match of the group stage, when LPB Ninh Binh faced VTV Binh Dien Long An, Dang Thi Hong's position was the target of the Western team's serve. When the 18-year-old hitter lost points in 1-2 similar situations, Ngoc Hoa, Kim Thoa... on VTV Binh Dien Long An's side actively exploited this weakness. This was also part of the reason for LPB Ninh Binh's 0-3 defeat against coach Thai Quang Lai and his team.
Dang Thi Hong had a commendable performance when playing in the national championship. However, she and LPB Ninh Binh failed to achieve their set goals. They had 2 wins against Quang Ninh and Binh Lich Thong Tin with the same score of 3-2 but lost to Hoa Chat Duc Giang (1-3), becoming the last team to reach the semi-finals.
Meeting the opponent they had met in the group stage, VTV Binh Dien Long An, both Dang Thi Hong and LPB Ninh Binh had a transformation when competing with their opponents for every point, dragging the match into the deciding set. However, once again, LPB Ninh Binh was the team that lacked courage and did not take advantage of their opportunities, accepting a regrettable 2-3 loss to the girls from the West.
This result makes LPB Ninh Binh the former champion of the tournament. Dang Thi Hong, Bich Tuyen and the Co Do team will face Thanh Hoa in the third place match, taking place at 8:00 p.m. today (November 16).
For Dang Thi Hong, the experience accumulated from the 2024 national championship will help her gain more confidence, learn many lessons, and be ready for the next tournaments, especially with the Vietnam U20 women's team participating in the U21 women's volleyball world championship in 2025.
