ALL eyes were on Alas Pilipinas’ upset bid against Vietnam in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup.
The result didn’t go the nationals’ way, all because of one Vietnamese spiker who singlehandedly eliminated the home team just three sets into its campaign: Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen.
READ: Nguyen unstoppable as Vietnam brushes off brave Alas stand
The 6-foot-2, 24-year-old outside hitter unleashed 30 of Vietnam’s 75 total points in the three-set knockout quarterfinal contest built on 27 attacks and three blocks.
Just last month in the Vietnamese's championship run through the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women also in Manila, Nguyen emerged as the tournament’s best player in the absence of their multi-awarded skipper Tran Thi Thanh Thúy or 'T4.'
With her unassailable offense a given, would you even be surprised to know that she has two terrific records to her name?
Hard-hitter, record-breaker
Nguyen holds the informal record of the most points scored in a single volleyball match, either in the men’s or women’s game, with 61 points in five sets for Ninh Binh Doveco over Than Quang Ninh in the 2021 Vietnam National Volleyball Championship third-place game.
The only reason such a feat is deemed unofficial is due to the fact that the above-mentioned competition is not under the umbrella of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
But from raw numbers alone, she eclipsed the likes of Azerbaijani ace Jana Kulan (60) and Cuban men’s star Leonardo Leyva (59), who both set their marks in Japan, on top of Canadian hotshot Gavin Schmitt’s 58-piece in 2012 and 57-piece in 2011.
Another record she currently holds? Nguyen is Vietnam’s highest-paid domestic league player.
Outside Vietnam, 'T4' secured a massive 250K USD contract with her new club Kuzeyboru in Turkiye last April after her prior playing stint in Japan in which she had a 200K USD pact.
But in their homeland, Nguyen’s contract with mother team Ninh Binh Doveco, as per Vietnamese news site Web The Thao, is estimated at around 56M Vietnamese dong (PHP 130, 000) per month.
Rumors, rumblings, and everything in between
Time and time again, Nguyen’s sexuality has been questioned for what some would describe as masculine physical features and skill sets since her debuts in the club level in 2016, under-16 national team in 2017, and then seniors national squad in 2022.
In fact, Nguyen turned down the chance to step up to the seniors team multiple times for reasons including ‘injury or psychological problems,’ as per a report from Vietnam News last May.
“In her career, Bich Tuyen has always faced gossip and controversy about gender issues (…) Bich Tuyen suffered a lot of criticism when she did not join the Vietnamese team for a long time,” the report wrote.
“This athlete has refused to compete in some focus sessions on the grounds of injury or psychological problems. However, Bich Tuyen's return to the Vietnamese team shattered doubts about both gender and dedication of this female athlete.”
Although she hardly spoke any English in her visits to the Philippines, it was her explosive show of power and strength on the court that did all the talking as Vietnam is now two wins away from lining up with the world’s best in the 2025 edition of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
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