The quality of play in phase 2 of this year’s National Volleyball Championship will be enhanced by the presence of this famous spiker.

Irina Voronkova, a Russian outside hitter, will wear the Thong Tin - BD19 jersey in phase 2 of the 2025 Women’s National Volleyball Championship starting this October in Ninh Binh.

Voronkova, aged 29, is an outside hitter for the Russian national team. She stands 1.90 meters tall, with a spike reach of 3.10 meters and a block reach of 3.00 meters, known for her powerful attacks and affectionately nicknamed "Elephant Van" by some Vietnamese volleyball fans.

She has played for many prestigious clubs such as Dinamo Kazan, Lokomotiv Kaliningrad (Russia); Eczacibasi Dynavit (Turkey) before gaining her first Asian volleyball experience with Shanghai (China) and Jakarta Popsiwo (Indonesia). Voronkova is one of the few Russian players who have won the Club World Championship twice, in 2014 and 2023, as well as six domestic titles and two silver medals in the Turkish National League.

At the national team level, Voronkova has represented Russia in many major tournaments such as the World Cup, World Championship, World Grand Prix, and the Olympics, notably winning the bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup alongside top Russian players like Nataliya Goncharova and Yevgeniya Startseva.

Irina Voronkova’s participation not only strengthens Thong Tin - BD19’s squad but also raises the profile of the National Volleyball Championship. This season, several high-caliber foreign players from top volleyball nations have come to Vietnam to compete, including Miroslava Paskova and Michal Kubiak.

In phase 1 of this year’s National League, Thong Tin - BD19 relied on Andrea Mitrovic, an outside hitter who recently played for Canada’s national team in the VNL and World Championship. Although she adapted slowly at first, Mitrovic gradually proved her ability, helping the team finish third in the National League and become runners-up in the Hung Vuong Cup, including an outstanding performance to defeat the defending champions VTV Binh Dien Long An in the semifinals.