National Volleyball Championship 2025: Unpredictable surprises in the two finals

The two men's and women's finals promise to be exciting, dramatic and balanced between the four strongest teams of the season. The final match of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship between Border Guard MB and The Cong Tan Cang (men's event) will take place on October 15. The final match between VTV Binh Dien Long An and LPBank Ninh Binh (women's event) will take place on October 16.

LPBank Ninh Binh women's team entered the final at home this year. Photo: VFV

The opportunity is divided equally among four strong teams.

The two finals of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship will take place at Ninh Binh Stadium on October 15 and 16. The men's final will be between Border Guard MB and The Cong Tan Cang, while the women's final will be between VTV Binh Dien Long An and LPBank Ninh Binh.

The notable common point is that both matches brought together teams with rich traditions, stable performance and were considered "equally matched".

In the women's category, LPBank Ninh Binh and VTV Binh Dien Long An are no strangers to the domestic scene. However, this is the first time the two teams have met in the national final, creating great excitement for fans.

Meanwhile, MB Border Guard will face The Cong Tan Cang for the first time in the final since the tournament was renamed the National Championship (in 2004). Both teams are from the Military bloc, and have faced each other many times in Cup tournaments, but the match for the national title promises to be completely different.

“We still believe that the element of surprise can appear. The fact that two familiar candidates, the Information Corps (women) and the Ho Chi Minh City Police (men), were eliminated in the semi-finals shows the fierce competition and openness of this year's season,” said a representative of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation's Professional Board.

Notably, all four coaches participating in this year's final are highly appreciated by experts for their strategy, ability to read the game and leadership skills.

In the women's category, coach Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hoa of VTV Binh Dien Long An continued to demonstrate her remarkable maturity after moving from the role of athlete to coach. Having been a symbol of Long An volleyball for many years, she clearly understands the identity and strengths of the team: "The whole team is in good spirits and determined to play with dedication. Although our opponent LPBank Ninh Binh is very strong, we will try to maximize the youth and solidarity of the team."

On the other side of the battle line, coach Thai Thanh Tung - who used to be attached to the Thai Binh team before moving to LPBank Ninh Binh said: "The final match is an opportunity for the players to show their maturity. Our goal is not only to win but also to play football with the Ninh Binh spirit - fierce, persistent and brave."

In the men's category, Coach Tran Dinh Tien (Bien Phong MB) and Coach Thai Anh Van (The Cong Tan Cang) are both familiar faces, having played for the teams they are currently leading. Their experience in competition, understanding of the team's internal affairs and their way of managing the players' psychology help them gain trust in their students.

Coach Tran Dinh Tien shared: “We highly value discipline and team spirit. Each match is a test of character. Despite being the defending champions, Border Guard still entered the field with a non-compromising mindset, because just one small mistake can cause all efforts to fail.”

Coach Thai Anh Van expressed his determination: “The Cong Tan Cang set a goal of reaching the finals from the beginning of the season and now we want to go further. The players all understand the meaning of this match – not only the title, but also the pride of the army team.”

The Cong-Tan Cang athletes celebrate their victory in front of Ho Chi Minh City Police. Photo: VFV

Expect a top match and a spirit of dedication

This year's men's final is considered by experts to be a "battle within the Army's sports sector" as both the MB Border Guard and Tan Cang The Cong are part of the same system, with strong, disciplined and fiery playing styles.

MB Border Guard is aiming for their third consecutive season in the final. In 2023, they finished as runners-up after losing to Sanest Khanh Hoa; in 2024, coach Tran Dinh Tien's team successfully took revenge to be crowned champions. This year, they continue to maintain stability with a squad that has many key players at peak form such as Van Hiep, Van Duy, The Khai, Ngoc Thuan, Duy Tuyen, Anh Tuan, Van Sang and Thai foreign player Jakkrit Thanomnoi.

Meanwhile, The Cong Tan Cang showed impressive performance in round 2 thanks to the brilliance of foreign player Rivan Nurmulki – an Indonesian hitter with a strong and effective playing style. Captain Nguyen Van Nam, despite being injured in the semi-finals, was still able to play, bringing great confidence to the whole team.

The army team reached the finals of the 2021 season but lost to Ninh Binh, and the last time they won the national championship was in 2016. Therefore, this year's final has a special significance - a chance to "revive" a force that once dominated the domestic arena.

Sports expert Nguyen Hong Minh commented that this is a very balanced match. Border Guard has the advantage of cohesion and experience, while Tan Cang The Cong possesses youth and a thirsty spirit. No matter which team wins, they deserve the championship.

Not only is it a race for the title, the two finals this year also demonstrate the comprehensive progress of Vietnamese volleyball – from organization, quality of foreign players to the mettle of domestic coaches.

The participation of four teams from the strongest centers in the country, along with a team of athletes with stable performance, is a testament to the professional and methodical investment of the clubs. Experts believe that the final matches will give fans beautiful plays, demonstrating the high level of Vietnamese volleyball at present.

The two final matches of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship will take place on the evenings of October 15 and 16 at Ninh Binh Provincial Gymnasium, promising to close the season with eye-catching performances, worthy of the highest tournament of Vietnamese volleyball.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/giai-bong-chuyen-vo-dich-quoc-gia-2025-nhung-bat-ngo-kho-doan-o-hai-tran-chung-ket-719753.html