Alas Pilipinas to face Iran for 7th place after Australia clinches Pool A third seed

Alas Pilipinas will battle Iran in the battle for seventh place after Australia secured the third seed in Pool A of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup on Friday.

The Philippines was eliminated from semifinal contention following a straight-set loss to Chinese Taipei, finishing pool play with a 2-3 record. A win by Australia over Uzbekistan dashed their slim hopes of reaching the fifth-place match.

World No. 80 Australia overcame a gritty challenge from world No. 101 Uzbekistan before pulling away for a 25-20, 30-28, 25-16, 25-8 victory, finishing with a 3-2 record.

This sets up a seventh-place matchup between Pool A’s fourth seed Alas Pilipinas (world No. 50) and Pool B’s fourth seed Iran (world No. 44) on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

“Our main goal is to give our best and win the game. We want to end the tournament on a high note,” said Alas Pilipinas interim head coach Shaq delos Santos.

The two teams have split their last two meetings in the AVC Women’s Volleyball Cup. The Philippines swept Iran in straight sets en route to a historic bronze medal two years ago at home. However, Iran got revenge in their most recent encounter, winning a thrilling five-set battle.

Alas Pilipinas will rely on their core stars — Alyssa Valdez, Alyssa Solomon, Nina Ytang, and Thea Gagate — as they aim to close out the tournament on a strong note.

Meanwhile, Australia will face Indonesia for fifth place at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Caitlin O’Dea led the Volleyroos with a tournament-high 21 points, while Kayla Cantrill added 15.

Uzbekistan will face Hong Kong in the ninth-place match at 12:30 p.m. after Hong Kong fell to Iran earlier in the day.