PV: Le Thanh Thuy and the Vietnamese women's volleyball team participated in 5 international tournaments in 2024. Which tournament impressed you the most? Why?
- Middle blocker Le Thanh Thuy: I was impressed with the two tournaments, the AVC Challenge Cup and the FIVB Challenger Cup. With the AVC Challenge Cup, the tournament took place in May - my birthday month. The Vietnamese women's volleyball team tried very hard to win the championship. I was also lucky to win the title of "Best Middle Blocker". This is a meaningful birthday gift for me because this is the first individual award I have received in an international tournament.
With the FIVB Challenger Cup, the Vietnamese team winning 3rd place is an honor and also a memorable highlight this year for me and the whole team.
What have you learned from the past tournaments?
- Every tournament is an experience for me to learn and change what I lack. Through each tournament, my teammates and I have the opportunity to compete with many strong opponents, thereby improving our expertise and mentality, enhancing our competitive spirit.
Recently, when competing on the field, Le Thanh Thuy rarely appears in situations where she hits the ball with one foot behind the head, her forte like before. How has the injury affected you?
- I chose to play the position of middle blocker mainly because of my strong one-legged shots behind the head. But at the end of 2017, I had a knee injury. Since the beginning of last year, I have had back problems, a slight herniated disc. Every 3-5 months of playing and practicing a lot, it is easy to get hurt.
I am very sorry that my body cannot respond, my legs are no longer capable, not strong enough to run in situations where one leg is behind the head anymore.
At first, I was sad, but thanks to the teachers and coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet on the national team, he guided me to hit the ball behind my head with both feet. That was the motivation for me to improve my mentality as well as try to stick with and compete until now.
Le Thanh Thuy is often put on the field at important moments. Does coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet have anything to share about the criteria for selecting personnel in matches?
- Coach Kiet has his own tactics. In any case, when he chooses me, I have to try my best. I think he appreciates me in blocking and running tactics to attract blocks. That is a good thing for me because even though I am not perfect in hitting behind the head, I still make the most of my abilities and contribute to the team.
Nguyen Thi Trinh is a junior from the same club, also called up to the national team and also plays as a middle blocker. This is also the player that coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet considers to have the most stable performance of the national team recently. How have you and your teammate supported each other?
- Trinh is a skillful ball handler, has decisive shots behind the head, and thinks quickly when there is a high block. I learned a lot from this teammate. We try to compensate for each other. Trinh is strong in attacking and I will try to contribute to the team in blocking ability.
Vietnam women's volleyball team has a ticket to the 2025 World Championship? What do you think about this historic milestone?
- I am really looking forward to next year. Hopefully, next year I will still have the opportunity to participate, contribute to the national team, and help my teammates. To do that, I need to continue to try from now because nothing can be predicted.
At the end of September, you and the LPB Ninh Binh team will participate in the 2024 Asian Club Championship. What is your goal?
- At this point, when participating in many international tournaments, I no longer feel overwhelmed or pressured. The coaching staff has not set a specific goal. I will try to do my job well when entering the field, helping my teammates to move towards the common goal.
My team and I will try our best in every match, especially in the group stage. Hopefully LPB Ninh Binh will be in the top. Because we know that the team will face many very strong opponents, so the possibility of playing in the final match is very difficult.
