Iran women’s volleyball team reaches historic 100-point mark after Asian Championship win

Iranian women’s volleyball team reached a historic milestone by surpassing 100 points in the FIVB world rankings after opening their 2026 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship campaign with a 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei.

The tournament is being held in China’s Tianjin from August 21 to 30, with 12 teams competing for the Asian title.

China, Chinese Taipei, Iran and Iraq make up Pool A, while the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides will advance to the quarterfinals. The champion will also earn direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Iran initially struggled against Chinese Taipei on Friday, dropping the opening set 25-16. The Iranian side, coached by Alireza Tolou Kian, responded strongly, edging the second set 27-25 before taking the third 25-19 and closing out the match 25-14.

Elaheh Poursaleh led all scorers with 25 points as Iran secured a victory that marked the team's first-ever win over Chinese Taipei in the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship.

The result also delivered a landmark gain in the FIVB world ranking. Iran collected 8.87 ranking points from the victory, taking its total to 104.47 and lifting the team to 41st in the world. The FIVB's official ranking system awards points according to results in major international competitions and is updated regularly.

The victory was particularly significant given Chinese Taipei's recent form. The team finished runner-up at the 2026 AVC Women’s Cup in June, while Iran placed seventh in the same competition.

Iran captain Shabnam Alikhani said detailed preparation had helped the team approach the match with confidence.

“Our detailed analysis and knowledge of Chinese Taipei gave the players the belief that we could beat this fast team,” Alikhani said. She added that the squad hoped to maintain the same intensity throughout the remainder of the tournament.

Tolou Kian also highlighted the significance of the result, saying Iran had been more organized and had secured a first-ever victory over Chinese Taipei at the Asian championship.

The coach, however, pointed to the need to remain realistic about the team’s goal. He identified South Korea, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei as the teams Iran should be targeting, while acknowledging the considerable experience of continental powers such as China, Japan and Thailand, who have regularly competed at the highest international level.

“We do not want to think in an idealistic way,” Tolou Kian said, emphasizing that Iran's immediate objective should be to defeat the teams within its competitive reach and build on the opening victory.

Iran's next Pool A match is against host China on Monday. China is among the strongest teams in the competition and has won the Asian women's championship 13 times, while Thailand enter the tournament as defending champions.

The 2026 championship carries added importance beyond the continental title: the winner will secure a direct place at the 2028 Olympics, while the top three finishers will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship.

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