On the evening of March 27, on her personal page, setter Nguyen Thu Hoai officially announced her retirement, ending her 13-year career in the professional volleyball environment.
In her sharing, Thu Hoai said: "13 years of playing professional volleyball is not just a journey, but a part of my life - where I have lived my whole life with passion".
She said that her journey started from the Vinh Phuc women's volleyball team when she was young, before spending 11 years with VietinBank club - an environment that helped her develop her expertise and stabilize her performance.
In terms of expertise, Thu Hoai is one of the outstanding setters of Vietnamese women's volleyball for many years. In 2016, she won the title of best setter at the Southeast Asian Youth Championship.
In the national team jersey, she participated in many major tournaments and won a silver medal with the team at SEA Games 30 (2019) and SEA Games 31 (2022).
Thu Hoai confided: "A decision is not easy, but it is something I know I need to do, when my body is no longer in the best state, when life has entered a new chapter.
I close this journey not with regret, but with deep gratitude. Grateful for living with passion, for dedicating myself, for growing up. Grateful because volleyball has given me a stronger, more disciplined and braver version of myself.
The road ahead will be different – no more familiar training sessions, no more stressful matches. But I believe that what volleyball has taught will always follow me, helping me to be more steadfast in my new life.
In addition to her playing career, Thu Hoai is also known for her good academic background, English proficiency and has participated in teaching in parallel with competing.
After getting married at the end of 2024 and having children in 2025, she switched to an office job, stabilizing her life outside of sports.
Concluding the letter, Thu Hoai thanked her family, the Board of Directors of Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank), Vietin Trading-Service-Investment Co., Ltd., the Training Board of Vietinbank Women's Volleyball Club, Vinh Phuc Women's Volleyball Team, teammates - those who have written youth with her and fans.
Goodbye, a part of my radiant youth. Goodbye volleyball – the great love of youth.
Not the end, but a new beginning... lighter, but still always carrying in my heart the pride of having contributed to the country's sports," Thu Hoai expressed.
