The two most improved setters in Vietnamese women's volleyball have found new teams

The Vietnamese women's volleyball transfer market has been bustling over the past few days.

Setter Tôn Thị Minh Thư will leave VietinBank (Industry and Trade Bank) to join Xi măng Long Sơn Thanh Hóa for the 2026 Vietnamese women's volleyball season.

Born in 2003, Tôn Thị Minh Thư is one of the most outstanding young setters in Vietnamese women's volleyball over the last two years. She was once part of Hậu Giang’s roster and played for clubs such as Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, LPB Ninh Bình, and most recently, VietinBank.

Her time with Ninh Bình brought Minh Thư many titles: runner-up at the Asian Club Championship, runner-up at the Hùng Vương Cup, runner-up at the VTV9 - Bình Điền Cup, and champion of the Hoa Lư - Bình Điền Cup (all in 2024), but it was only at VietinBank that the 22-year-old truly made a professional breakthrough.

Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt — a former excellent setter of Vietnam — has a great track record of developing players in this position, and Tôn Thị Minh Thư is no exception. Under Coach Tuấn Kiệt’s guidance, Minh Thư flourished with highly unpredictable sets perfectly suited to her teammates, serving as a fitting replacement for “Volleyball Beauty” Nguyễn Thu Hoài, who temporarily paused her career to start a family.

Although sometimes lacking consistency, Minh Thư’s outstanding performance made her the most improved setter in Vietnamese women's volleyball last season. At one point, some fans hoped to see this 2003-born athlete join the national team.

Tôn Thị Minh Thư’s arrival at XMLS Thanh Hóa will solve the setter issue for the team — one of the factors that made the Thanh Hóa team struggle in 2025. Besides Minh Thư, Coach Bùi Huy Sơn will also have the former national team libero, Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên.

Conversely, VietinBank will recruit setter Lê Thị Ngọc Trâm — whose contract with VTV Bình Điền Long An just ended — and will also add another setter from Bắc Ninh on loan.