In the men's category, defending champions MB Border Guard will undoubtedly face a challenging journey to retain their title. The military team still maintains a very strong domestic squad with many national team players such as Van Hiep, Ngoc Thuan, Van Duy, The Khai, and Duy Tuyen.
This is the core team that has helped MB Border Guard perform consistently over the years and recently won the Hoa Lu - Binh Dien Cup 2026 convincingly, thus providing a perfect start to the new season.
However, the national league is always a different story, with much higher competition and well-prepared opponents. Notably, many strong teams have strengthened their squads with quality foreign players to compete directly with the reigning champions.
While MB Border Guard continues to use their familiar foreign player Jakkrit Thanomnoi (Thailand), their rivals also possess some very noteworthy names. Tan Cang Sports continues to place its trust in opposite hitter Rivan (Indonesia), a hitter with excellent jumping ability and scoring skills. LPB Ninh Binh boasts outside hitter Batsuuri Battur (Mongolia) with superior physique and strength. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City Police recruits Martin Licek (Czech Republic), a hitter with experience playing in Europe.
Not to be outdone, Sanest Khanh Hoa attracted attention by bringing in Garrett Muagututia (USA), a former US national team player who has competed in many major tournaments around the world . Hanoi has Kuon Mom (Cambodia), while Da Nang has added Kittithad Nuwaddee (Thailand). The arrival of these high-quality foreign players promises to create exciting matches and fierce competition.
While the men's competition is predicted to be unpredictable, the women's competition promises to be equally exciting. Defending champions VTV Binh Dien Long An are in excellent form, having just won the Hoa Lu - Binh Dien Cup, thus having the best possible preparation for their goal of defending their title at this year's National Championship. However, Coach Ngoc Hoa's team will certainly face many difficulties as rivals such as LPB Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, and Vietinbank have all invested heavily and are determined to compete for the championship.
At this year's tournament, VTV Binh Dien Long An is placing its faith in Cuban outside hitter Lianet Garcia Anglada. Her powerful attack, international experience, and consistency are considered key to helping VTV Binh Dien Long An continue to compete for the championship.
Meanwhile, their rivals have also brought in some very notable foreign players. LPB Ninh Binh added Wang Yizhu (China), a hitter with good height and strength. Vietinbank recruited Suvi Kokkonen (Finland), Thanh Hoa acquired Cai Xiaoqing (China), and Hanoi acquired Ivana Vanjak (Germany). The arrival of these foreign players not only improves the professional quality but also makes the tournament more attractive as teams have more tactical options.
It can be said that the biggest highlight of the 2026 National Volleyball Championship will be the very even competition between teams in both men's and women's categories. There will no longer be a huge gap between the teams; instead, there will be a balance of strength, diverse tactics, and the brilliance of foreign players.
With thorough preparation from the teams, and the participation of many national team players and quality foreign players, Round 1 promises to deliver many exciting, dramatic, and high-quality matches. The championship race this season is therefore predicted to be more unpredictable than ever.
“The tournament brings together 16 teams, including 8 men's teams: MB Border Guard, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Da Nang, Hanoi, LPB Ninh Binh, Sanest Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, and The Cong Tan Cang; and 8 women's teams: Geleximco Hung Yen, Hanoi Tasco Auto, Duc Giang Lao Cai Chemicals, LPB Ninh Binh, Signal Corps, Vietinbank, VTV Binh Dien Long An, and Long Son Thanh Hoa Cement. Round 1 takes place from April 6-19; Round 2 and the Finals, ranking for the women's teams will be held from October 14-25 in Vinh Long, while the men's competition will take place from October 28 to November 8 at the Ho Chi Minh City Police Sports Center. Teams will compete in a double round-robin format to determine points and rankings from 1st to 8th. After two stages, the top 4 teams will advance to the Finals to compete for the championship, while the remaining 4 teams will enter the relegation round, and the last-placed team will be relegated to the lower division.” A year 2027.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/cuoc-dua-kho-luong-216536.html
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