Thong Tin - Dong Bac officially welcomes a star foreign player

On September 25th, Russian outside hitter Voronkova Irina arrived in Hanoi to join the Thong Tin - Dong Bac - Binh Doan 19 women's volleyball club.

On September 25th, Russian outside hitter Voronkova Irina arrived in Hanoi to reunite with the Thong Tin - Dong Bac - Binh Doan 19 women's volleyball team, preparing for the second phase of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship. This team is among the first to complete their foreign player recruitment before the decisive round.

Born in 1995, Irina stands 1.90 meters tall with a blocking reach of 3 meters and a jumping reach of 3.10 meters. She has played for several top clubs in Russia and gained experience competing in Turkey, China, and Indonesia. Throughout her career, the 30-year-old hitter has been repeatedly honored as the best outside hitter and opposite hitter in domestic leagues.

Irina's strengths lie in her all-around offensive and defensive skills, allowing her to play flexibly as both an outside hitter and opposite hitter. She is known for scoring points from beyond the 3-meter line, powerful attacks from the wings, and strong serves. Beyond offense, Irina has solid first-touch passing skills and was awarded the most impressive first passer at the 2023 Women's Club World Championship.

Irina's addition is expected to boost Thong Tin - Dong Bac’s confidence in their quest to return to the top. With 12 national championships, the military team is the most successful club in the league’s history, though their last title was in 2021. After falling out of the top 4 in the 2024 season, the management decided to bring back coach Pham Van Long to lead the team with the goal of reclaiming their elite status.

Before joining the squad in Hanoi, Thong Tin - Dong Bac conducted a two-week training camp in China and played a friendly match against Hanoi on the afternoon of September 25th. The team plans to play additional practice games to help the foreign player integrate quickly before the second phase begins.

At the end of phase one, coach Pham Van Long’s team secured 3 wins and 2 losses, currently standing in third place. They still have two group stage matches remaining against LPBank Ninh Binh and Geleximco Hung Yen.