The army club Binh chủng Thông tin are Vietnam's women's volleyball champions again. They beat Hà Nội Tasco Auto 3-1 (27-25, 25-17, 16-25, 25-19) in the final of the 2026 national championship at the Vĩnh Long arena on the evening of 25 October. According to Thanh Niên and Tuổi Trẻ, it is the club's 13th national title, extending their own record, and their first since 2021.
How the final was won
The opening set swung both ways. Tuổi Trẻ reports that Binh chủng Thông tin led 16-14, fell behind 20-22 and still closed it out 27-25. Thanh Niên put the set down to Hà Nội errors at key moments, while Tuổi Trẻ credited the army side's block for containing Serbian hitter Brankica Mihajlovic.
The second set was one-way traffic. American outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara repeatedly cashed in on good sets from Đoàn Thị Lâm Oanh, and Hà Nội coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt rested Mihajlovic once the gap grew. It finished 25-17.
Hà Nội hit back in the third, racing to an 8-1 lead and taking the set 25-16. Tuổi Trẻ notes that the effort cost them: the 35-year-old Mihajlovic could no longer sustain her attack, and Binh chủng Thông tin regained control to win the fourth 25-19.
Background: a first win over Hà Nội this year
The result reversed the season's pattern. SGGP reports that Hà Nội had beaten Binh chủng Thông tin in all three earlier meetings in 2026: in round one, round two and the Hùng Vương Cup. The most recent, in round two, ended 3-2 according to Thanh Niên. Binh chủng Thông tin reached the final by beating defending champions VTV Bình Điền Long An in the semi-finals.
The two head coaches share a background. According to SGGP, both Phạm Văn Long and Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt developed their coaching careers in the Binh chủng Thông tin volleyball programme. KBVN+ has put the key dates from these reports together:
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2004 | The competition is renamed from the national strong-teams championship to the National Championship; before this final Binh chủng Thông tin held the record of 12 titles |
| 2017 | Phạm Văn Long retires, then works with several other teams |
| 2021 | Binh chủng Thông tin win the title against Ngân hàng Công Thương, whose staff included Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt |
| Early 2026 | Long returns to coach Binh chủng Thông tin |
| 2026 | Kiệt takes charge of the Hà Nội women for the first time after leaving Ngân hàng Công Thương; Hà Nội beat Binh chủng Thông tin in round one, round two and the Hùng Vương Cup |
| 25 October | Binh chủng Thông tin beat Hà Nội Tasco Auto 3-1 in the final |
The national title still eludes Kiệt. SGGP notes that he won several international honours as head coach of Vietnam's women's team but has never been national champion with a domestic club. Before the final he said the outcome would be decided by what happened on court. Hà Nội Tasco Auto nevertheless finished runners-up in their first season after promotion, Thanh Niên reports.
Bronze for the defending champions
Earlier that day, VTV Bình Điền Long An beat Hóa chất Đức Giang 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-21) in the match between the beaten semi-finalists. According to SGGP, coach Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hoa was without the injured Đặng Thị Kim Thanh and used almost her whole squad. She said third place was a fair reflection of her team's form this year.
What comes next
Under the organisers' rules, as reported by SGGP before the final, the champions receive 500 million dong and the runners-up 300 million dong. The 25 October final closed the 2026 season in Vĩnh Long. For VTV Bình Điền Long An, the plan is already set: Ngọc Hoa said her team would prepare more thoroughly in coaching and personnel after the season, with the aim of coming back in 2027.
Read more: our preview of the Hà Nội Tasco Auto v Binh chủng Thông tin final and the 2026 women's volleyball semi-final line-up.