The Iran women's volleyball team secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the AVC Women’s Volleyball Continental Championship after a decisive victory over Iraq on Tuesday in Tianjin, China. Following a 3-0 loss to the host nation less than 18 hours earlier, Iran dominated Iraq with a straight-sets win, recording scores of 25-4, 25-7, and 25-5 in a match that lasted just over an hour at the Tianjin Olympic Center Gymnasium.
Outside hitter Fatemeh Khalili led the Iranian scoring with 14 points, supported by middle blocker Reihaneh Karimi, who contributed 13. Opposite spiker Elaheh Poursaleh added 12 points, while middle blocker Zahra Karimi delivered eight points, including two blocks and one ace. The win improved Iran’s record to two wins in three matches, placing them second in Pool A.
Iran began the tournament strongly, overcoming Chinese Taipei 3-1 in their opening match. Chinese Taipei had been runners-up at the recent AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup, while Iran finished seventh in that competition. Iran’s head coach, Alireza Toloukian, highlighted the team’s focus during the win against Iraq, stating that the players maintained full concentration and avoided errors. He emphasized the challenge of matches against lower-ranked teams, which require mental discipline in addition to tactical execution.
Toloukian noted that although he aimed to give opportunities to younger players, the importance of each point in determining knockout stage seeding necessitated the use of key personnel. The quarterfinal opponents for Iran have yet to be decided, as the full playoff lineup depends on combined rankings following the conclusion of group-stage matches scheduled through Wednesday. Teams such as South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Australia were slated to play after Iran, with outcomes influencing Iran’s next matchup, expected on Thursday or Friday.
Predicting a fifth-place finish in the overall standings, Toloukian suggested Iran might face Indonesia in the quarterfinal round. He expressed readiness to begin strategic preparations once the opponent is confirmed.
This tournament marks Iran’s ninth participation in the continental championship, with their best finish coming in 2019 when they placed seventh. After placing 10th in the 2023 edition, the team is aiming to surpass previous performances. Toloukian described the goal for this year as reaching the final four or securing a strong position in the classification matches, characterizing such outcomes as significant achievements for the program.