Recently, Okayama Seagulls club officially announced foreign player Tran Thi Bich Thuy in the new 2025-2026 season, although she has actually been in Japan and accompanied the team for a few weeks.
Many fans were surprised when the club announced it late. However, that delay does not reduce the expectations that fans have for the middle blocker of Vietnamese volleyball.
Bich Thuy is the second female athlete to participate in the SV.League - a tournament with the highest professional quality in the continent. At the age of many years of experience, wearing the number 27 shirt and taking on the position of middle blocker at Okayama Seagulls is considered an important step forward for her to challenge herself in a more competitive environment, facing strong opponents of Japan.
In the context of this team facing difficulties when they have only had one victory after 14 matches and are second to last, the appearance of a quality foreign player like Bich Thuy is expected to bring a new breeze.
What makes the expectations for her even greater is her excellent performance from the beginning of 2025. There was a time when she had to leave the national team because she did not meet professional requirements, but Bich Thuy suddenly exploded in the GS Caltex (Korea) shirt. Her ability to block the ball has improved significantly, along with her attacking efficiency in the number 3 position, helping her be called back to the Vietnam national team and participate in many important tournaments.
After completing her mission with Duc Giang Lao Cai Chemicals in the domestic league, Bich Thuy quickly went to Japan to promptly integrate with the Seagulls. Although she was temporarily absent from the first training phase of the Vietnam national team in preparation for the SEA Games, she was still confident that she would participate when the competition schedule allowed.
In the context of Okayama Seagulls lacking foreign players and in dire need of change, Bich Thuy is considered a factor that can create a breakthrough. Japanese and Vietnamese fans both expect her to not only help the team get out of trouble, but also continue to affirm the position of Vietnamese athletes in the international arena.
