The colder she appears, the more she is adored; in Vietnamese women's volleyball, there is only one such person.

Talented players are not unique, but talent with a distinctive "style" is rare. She belongs to that very small group within Vietnamese women's volleyball.

From Vietnam to Thailand, from Korea to Japan, Vietnamese volleyball fans are accustomed to the image of a talented player with a cold face, sparing smiles, yet increasingly beloved.

No one judges her as "arrogant," "haughty," or having "star syndrome." Instead, almost all share the view that this external style, contrasting with most female colleagues, creates the unique "character" of "Mira" Bich Thuy (Mira is how she is called in Japan).

Always maintaining a slightly... melancholic face regardless of the team's loss or win, Bich Thuy occasionally punctuates it with extremely "heated" celebrations and a rare radiant smile. Each time, her image becomes more deeply etched in fans' hearts in a very... Bich Thuy way.

If Bich Thuy smiled constantly, she would still leave a deep impression, but certainly not as she does now, where she is mentioned with affection as a player who genuinely possesses a naturally unique "style" in Vietnamese women's volleyball.

With her latest outstanding performance, scoring 13 points and contributing greatly to Okayama Seagulls' 3-1 victory over Toray in round 20 of this season's national championship, auxiliary attacker Tran Thi Bich Thuy earned her first individual award in Japan, being selected as MVP of that match (Most Valuable Player).

This is a prestigious award honoring the most outstanding player in a match. Typically, main attackers or opposite attackers win this award as they are often the top scorers.

An auxiliary attacker winning MVP is quite special because they rarely are the top scorers. In fact, Bich Thuy was not the top scorer in the match between Okayama Seagulls and Toray.

Yet she was honored, and it is a fully deserved honor. The skilled person excels even in the most difficult tasks.

Bich Thuy plays in a team with very weak strength. Her teammates have limited professional skills. Okayama Seagulls' first step and second passes are always very "unsteady."

This greatly affects Bich Thuy's performance efficiency. Nevertheless, she regularly scores 10-14 points per match, sometimes up to 17 points. After much effort, the talent and class of the Vietnamese auxiliary attacker are finally recognized.

By being selected as MVP for the first time in a match of Japan's national championship, Bich Thuy has won individual awards in all three volleyball leagues she has played in so far.

Previously, the 1.84m auxiliary attacker received the "Best Auxiliary Attacker of Thailand's National Championship" award in the 2019 season. Furthermore, Bich Thuy was chosen as MVP in the match between GS Caltex and Hyundai (Korea's national championship 2024-2025). She also made the weekly standout team while playing for GS Caltex in Korea's national championship.

As of the latest update, Tran Thi Bich Thuy has played only 24 matches for Okayama Seagulls, about half the appearances of most other players (40 matches). Playing so little and being her first season in Japan's national championship, Bich Thuy quickly "got into the groove," played confidently, and maintained high, stable performance.

Statistics don't lie. After 24 matches played, Bich Thuy scored a total of 242 points, averaging over 10 points per match. This is an excellent scoring average for an auxiliary attacker. Bich Thuy is the player with the highest performance efficiency at Okayama Seagulls and the team's most effective auxiliary attacker. Among her 242 points, 178 are attack points and 56 are block points.

Remember, blocking was once Bich Thuy's weakness. Precisely because of slow and reluctant blocking, she was excluded from the national team by coach Tuan Kiet in 2024.

But after just two months of "training" in Korea early in 2025, Bich Thuy became a completely different blocking player compared to her former self. Now Bich Thuy blocks quickly, diligently, and makes opponents wary when facing her at the net.

While Bich Thuy's blocking ability has greatly improved, her attacking ability remains as formidable as ever. Still lightning-fast spikes from position 3, still high-quality one-foot behind-the-head shots.

After Thailand's national championship, Korea's national championship, Japan's national volleyball championship is the newest platform elevating the current number one auxiliary attacker of Vietnam's women's volleyball team to new heights.

This fantastic season promises to bring Bich Thuy into the sights of many top Japanese clubs and other strong volleyball leagues next season, and it would not be surprising if she continues to shine.