Gresik, East Java, Indonesia, June 25, 2023 – Iran capped off the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Women on a winning note, as they defeated Australia 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-20) on Sunday at the Tri Dharma Petrokimia Gresik Gymnasium to finish as fifth placers in their first participation in the competition.
Iran head coach Rashidi Kiklahijani Fatemeh commented, “I am so happy that we finished this competition with a big win. We want to try more and work even harder this year as we have set some goals to reach. I think we can play better. In the next competition, we can really do more because of the experience we learned here.”
Ashofteh Mona scored 21 points, including 10 that she made in the 4th set alone. Bagherpour Soudabeh and captain Mahsa Kadkhoda contributed with double-digits, posting 14 points and 11 points respectively.
Annelies Jones powered the Australian offense, scoring 21 points, with Emma Burton helping out with another 16 markers.
Australia worked hard in block defense, collecting 13 points from deflections but Iran tried to find solutions and good decisions in transition plays to complete the match in four sets.
Iran now look ahead to a bright future for the next generation of players, with several key events lined up, including the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship in Thailand and 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.
“I think this is a really good preparation for our young players. We have one setter who started to play again.
“This is a really good competition for my players and for Iran volleyball,” she said.
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