ZHENGZHOU, China, Nov. 2 -- Former Chinese women's volleyball team member Huo Xuan died of heart attack on Monday, sports authorities at Central China's Henan province announced on Wednesday. Huo was 28.

The 1.90-meter-tall Huo, who joined the national team in 2009 and retired from the sport in 2012, had partnered with star player Zhu Ting in Henan team.

Zhu, who led the Chinese team to the Olympic gold medal in Rio and was voted as MVP at the Olympics, was saddened by the news.

"I'm so sad when I heard the news. She took care of me like my elder sister and gave me her shirts when I just joined Henan team," Zhu said on social media.

Volleyball players who had died of heart attack in their prime included star U.S. women's player Flora Hamman and Chinese men's team ace Zhu Gang.