Iran women make history with first-ever Asian Volleyball Championship semifinal berth
Iranian women’s volleyball team reached the semifinals of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Continental Championship for the first time after beating Indonesia 3-1 in the quarterfinals in Tianjin, China.
Iran overcame a slow start at the Tianjin Olympic Center Gymnasium to secure a landmark victory on Friday. The result sent the team into the final four of Asia for the first time in its history.
Indonesia took the opening set 25-19. Iran then responded strongly, winning the next three sets 25-16, 25-12 and 25-17.
The tournament, held from Aug. 21-30 in Tianjin, features 12 national teams. The competition also carries major international stakes, with the champion earning a direct place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the top three teams securing berths at the 2027 World Cup.
For Iran, the semifinal appearance marks a significant breakthrough in women’s volleyball. The team had never previously reached the last four at the Asian championship.
🏐 Iran women’s volleyball team reaches Asian Championship quarterfinals
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) August 25, 2026
Iran defeated Iraq in its final group-stage match at the 2026 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, securing a place among the tournament’s top eight teams.@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/KkX1Bx6MXD
Head coach Alireza Toloe Kian praised his players for achieving a major milestone.
“For the first time, Iranian women volleyball players have reached the top four in Asia. I congratulate everyone on this great achievement,” Toloe Kian said.
He attributed the result to the players’ planning, determination and effort, saying Iranian women’s volleyball players had worked for years to reach this level.
Toloe Kian also underlined the difficulty of reaching the semifinals in a region dominated by established teams such as China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
“Reaching the top four in Asia is not an easy task in East Asia, and this result is valuable for Iranian volleyball,” he said.
Tolou Kian also said that reaching the top four in Asian women’s competition for Iran is as valuable as “winning a gold medal at the men’s world championship.”
Iran captain Shabnam Alikhani said the achievement fulfilled a long-held ambition.
“After 16 or 17 years, I have achieved the goal I had,” Alikhani said. “But the Iranian team has still not won an Asian medal. The players’ goal is to win a medal.”
She said the historic qualification was the result of years of hard work and difficult days.
“I am very happy and proud of all my teammates. I really cannot describe how I feel because we worked so hard to reach this stage,” Alikhani said.
Iran will face host China in the semifinals after China defeated Vietnam in the other quarterfinal Friday.
The semifinal will give Iran another opportunity to make history as it pursues its first medal at the continental championship.
Earlier during the competition, the team made history by surpassing 100 points in the FIVB ranking.
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