Doha, August 28 (QNA) - Iran set up a final showdown with France at the U17 World Volleyball Championship Doha 2026 after beating Argentina 3-0 in the semifinals on Friday.
Iran secured the victory with scores of 25-19, 29-27 and 25-13. They dominated the opening set before the second set produced a fiercely contested battle that extended into extra points, with Iran eventually edging it. They then maintained their superiority in the third set, winning it by a wide margin to confirm their place in the final.
Iran have continued their impressive run in the tournament with an unbeaten record. They topped Pool E with a perfect nine points from three consecutive victories before defeating Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the Round of 16. They then secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Pakistan in the quarterfinals in a marathon encounter that went to the deciding set.
Argentina's campaign, meanwhile, came to an end in the semifinals after they produced a strong run in the tournament. They eliminated Italy, the champions of the inaugural edition, before overcoming Poland 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
France had already secured the first spot in the final after defeating Brazil 3-1 in the semifinals, coming from behind after losing the opening set.
France reached the final after topping Pool A with a perfect record of three wins against Tunisia, Qatar and Venezuela. They then defeated Spain in the Round of 16 and Romania 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
The final of the second edition of the championship will be played tomorrow (Saturday) at 5pm at the Women's Sports Hall in Aspire Zone. The third-place playoff between Brazil and Argentina will take place at 2pm.
The final day of competition will also be attended by Fabio Azevedo, President of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), who is visiting Qatar as part of the strong relations and ongoing cooperation between the FIVB and the Qatar Volleyball Association. (QNA)