MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) officially launched the road to the AVC Women’s Cup 2026 with the Drawing of Lots and Press Conference held in Manila, Philippines, determining the pool compositions and competition pathway for participating teams.
The tournament will be held from June 6–14, 2026 in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, bringing together 12 national teams from across Asia to compete for continental honors.
The ceremony brought together key officials and stakeholders, led by AVC President Mr. Ramon Suzara, followed by Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Mr. Patrick Gregorio, alongside Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Mr. Anthony Liao, Candon City Mayor Mr. Eric Singson, and AVC Treasurer and Control Committee President Ms. Marina Tsui.
AVC President Ramon Suzara emphasized the significance of the competition in advancing women’s volleyball in Asia.
“The AVC Women’s Cup continues to establish itself as a premier competition, showcasing the highest level of women’s volleyball in Asia. With the strong lineup of teams this year, we are confident that the tournament will deliver exciting matches and further elevate the sport across the region,” said Suzara.
The participating teams include host Philippines, defending champion Vietnam, and top-ranked teams based on the latest world rankings: Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Iran, and Kyrgyzstan. Additional representatives from AVC zones complete the lineup, including Uzbekistan (CAVA), Hong Kong, China (EAVA), Australia (OZVA), Indonesia (SAVA), and Lebanon (WAVA).
Following the official draw, teams were divided into two pools of six teams each. The host nation Philippines was automatically placed at the top of Pool A, with the remaining teams seeded using a serpentine system based on world rankings for the top positions, while the rest were allocated through a draw.
Pool A consists of Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, and Uzbekistan, while Pool B features Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, and Lebanon, setting up a balanced and highly competitive group stage.
The preliminary round will feature 30 matches across June 6–9 and June 11–12, with teams competing in a round-robin format within their respective pools. A rest day is scheduled on June 10.
The top teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stage, beginning on June 13, which includes the semifinals and classification matches. The tournament will culminate on June 14 with the finals for all ranking positions, including the gold medal match.
A ceremonial turnover of the official competition volleyball was also conducted, symbolizing the formal handover of hosting responsibilities to the Philippine Sports Commission, the City Government of Candon, and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
The Drawing of Lots session was conducted with the assistance of members of the Alas Pilipinas national team, Ms. Leila Jane Cruz and Ms. Thea Allison Gagate, who facilitated the allocation of teams and confirmed the tournament pathway.
With the pools and schedule now confirmed, teams will begin final preparations as they set their sights on advancing through the group stage and competing for the AVC Women’s Cup 2026 title.