Shaghayegh Hassankhani delivered a stellar 16-point performance as Iran edged Indonesia 3-2 in the most compelling match of the AVC Women's Volleyball Nations Cup opening day in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Iranian star, nicknamed "Shagi" by teammates, helped her squad overcome a determined Indonesian side with impressive blocking prowess. Iran recorded 17 successful blocks against Indonesia's six in the hard-fought 23-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-19, 15-12 victory.
"Our blocking made the difference today when we needed it most," a volleyball analyst commented while assessing the match. "The Iranian team showed remarkable resilience after falling behind twice in the five-setter."
The tournament, formerly known as the AVC Women's Challenge Cup, kicked off on June 7 at the 2,650-seat Dong Anh Gymnasium with 11 national teams competing through June 14. Interestingly, this newly rebranded competition offers crucial FIVB World Ranking points for teams not currently participating in the Volleyball Nations League.
Despite Hassankhani's heroics, Indonesia's Ersandrina Devega actually topped the scoring charts with 25 points—though her efforts weren't enough to secure victory.
Elsewhere in Pool B, Margarita Belchenko led Kazakhstan to a comfortable 3-0 sweep against New Zealand with 12 points including three aces, while Vanessa Gandler contributed 16 points as the Philippines dominated Mongolia in straight sets.
Pool A action saw Kan Ko-Hui power Chinese Taipei past Australia with 13 points in a convincing 3-0 win. Host nation Vietnam delighted home supporters when Thi Kieu Trinh Hoang scored 11 points in their 3-0 victory over Hong Kong.
The tournament format splits teams into two pools, with the top two from each advancing to crossed semifinals on June 13. The stakes are high—the champion secures a berth at the 2026 Asian Championship, which serves as a qualifier for both the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2027 World Championship.
Can Vietnam, two-time consecutive champions of the predecessor tournament, defend their home court advantage throughout the competition? We'll find out as pool play continues through June 12.
