Iran became the fourth team to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship in Tianjin (China). In the other matches on August 25, Japan and Thailand solidified their dominance and finished first in their respective groups.
Iran – Iraq 3:0 (25:4, 25:7, 25:5)
Iran left no chances for Iraq and finished the match after losing only 39 points in three sets. The victory was the second for the Iranian women in Group A, and they collected 6 points, thus guaranteeing their participation among the top eight teams in the tournament. Thus, Iran joined the already qualified China, Thailand, and Japan.
Iran's significant superiority was most evident in blocking, from which the team scored 15 points. Fatemeh Halili finished with 14 points – 11 from attack and 3 blocks. Reyhane Karimi added 13 points, including 4 aces, and Elahe Pour Saleh scored 12.
Japan – Vietnam 3:0 (25:23, 25:17, 25:21)
Japan flawlessly completed its participation in Group C. The Asian team recorded a third consecutive victory without losing a set and finished in first place with a full asset of 9 points and a set ratio of 9:0.
Vietnam offered the most serious resistance in the first set, lost 23:25, but after that, the Japanese controlled the match. Miku Akimoto was the top scorer for the winners with 16 points – 13 from attack, 2 aces, and 1 block. Yoshino Sato added 11 points.
Thailand – Kazakhstan 3:1 (25:22, 25:16, 23:25, 25:11)
Thailand also finished the group stage undefeated. The defending champions achieved their third victory and topped Group B with 9 points and a set ratio of 9:1.
Kazakhstan managed to break the Thai team's streak by snatching the third set 25:23, but the favorite's reaction was decisive – 25:11 in the fourth. Sasipapron Jantawisut and Pimpichaya Kokram each scored 20 points for the winners.
After Tuesday's matches, Japan and Thailand are now confirmed winners in Groups C and B, respectively. Iran also has a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals, regardless of its final ranking in Group A.
The group stage concludes on August 26 with matches between Republic of Korea – Hong Kong, Indonesia – Australia, and China – Chinese Taipei. After these, the final lineup of quarterfinalists will be known. The winners and second-placed teams from the three groups, as well as the two best third-placed teams, qualify for the knockout stage. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, the semifinals for Saturday, and the medal matches for Sunday.