Iranian women fall to Azerbaijan in ISG volleyball opener
Iran got off to a losing start in the women’s volleyball event of the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, suffering a straight-set defeat against Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
The Iranian girls were caught off guard in the opening two sets, losing 25-11 and 25-16, before South Korean head coach Lee Do-hee made several changes for the third set.
A different lineup paid off as Iran went toe-to-toe with the European opponent but ultimately lost 26-24.
Featuring five teams – Türkiye, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan – the women’s volleyball event in Riyadh is being held in a round-robin format until Wednesday, before the top two teams set to square off for the gold medal the following day.
Iran will face volleyball powerhouse Türkiye today, before meeting Afghanistan and Tajikistan on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Türkiye made quick work of Afghanistan later on Wednesday, coming victorious in straight sets (25-3, 25-4, 25-3).