The Iranian women's national volleyball team captured the 2026 CAVA Women's Volleyball Championship title on Friday, securing the regional crown for the second consecutive year.
Iran defeated Kazakhstan 3-1 in the final match held at the National Sports Council (NSC) Indoor Hall in Kathmandu.
The Iranian squad, led by South Korean head coach Lee Do-hee, completed an undefeated tournament run. They secured five consecutive victories against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, the host nation Nepal, and again Kazakhstan in the final.
🏐 Central Asian Volleyball: Iranian women's national team defeats Sri Lanka
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) May 24, 2026
In their second match at the Central Asian Championship, Iranian women secured a second straight win, overcoming Sri Lanka to continue their strong run in the tournament.@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/sya0yL6Wxu
Iran opened the final strongly, winning the first set 25-18. Kazakhstan bounced back to take the second set 19-25, but Iran regrouped to dominate the final two sets 25-15 and 25-21.
Earlier in the day, India secured the bronze medal. The Indian squad defeated tournament hosts Nepal 3-1 in the third-place playoff.
The regional tournament featured eight national teams from across Central and South Asia.
With this victory, Iran cements its growing dominance in the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA). The team won its maiden gold medal in the competition last year, which marked Iran's first major women's volleyball title in 62 years of history.
Following their championship victory, the Iranian team will travel to the Philippines. The squad will set up an overseas training camp there before competing in the upcoming Asian Women's Volleyball Cup.