2026 AVC Men's Volleyball Cup Pool A
Pool A was one of the two pools of the preliminary round of the 2026 AVC Men's Volleyball Cup that took place from 20 to 26 June 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The pool consisted of the host country, India, alongside Australia, Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, and New Zealand.[1][2] Teams competed in a round-robin format with a rest day on 24 June. The top two teams from the pool advanced to the semifinals, while the third-, fourth-, and fifth-placed teams qualified for the classification matches.[3]
The pool stage was characterized by a dominant performance from the host nation. India finished undefeated in Pool A, winning all five of its matches while dropping only a single set across the preliminary round.[4] This performance secured India the top seed out of the group, while Bahrain finished in second place and both advanced to the semifinals.[5] The campaign also resulted in India rising from world No. 60 to No. 42 in the FIVB rankings.[4]
Teams
The following four teams competed in Pool A for the tournament, listed by their position in the pool.[6]
| Position | Country | Zone | Qualified as | Qualified on | Appearance(s) | Previous best performance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Last | ||||||
| A1 |  India |
CAVA | Host country | 20 December 2025 | 2 | 2023 | 15th place (2023) | |
| A2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Australia |
OZVA | World Rankings pathway[a] | 2 February 2026 | 4 | 2023 | 2025 | 5th place (2023, 2025) |
| A3 |  Bahrain |
WAVA | Defending champions | 24 June 2025 | 4 | 2023 | 2025 | Champions (2025) |
| A4 |  Chinese Taipei |
EAVA | EAVA representative[b] | 2 February 2026 | 4 | 2023 | 2025 | 7th place (2025) |
| A5 |  Kazakhstan |
CAVA | CAVA representatives[c] | 2 February 2026 | 3 | 2023 | 2024 | 4th place (2024) |
| A6 |  New Zealand |
OZVA | OZVA representative | 2 February 2026 | 2 | 2025 | 11th place (2025) | |
World Rankings
The following six teams were ranked in the FIVB World Rankings at the beginning and the final day of the tournament.[7]
| Position | Country | FIVB World Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before[α] | After[β] | |||
| A1 | India |
61 (65.26) | 42 (101.86) | |
| A2 | Australia |
37 (114.61) | 51 (81.35) | |
| A3 | Bahrain |
42 (105.08) | 41 (102.66) | |
| A4 | Chinese Taipei |
55 (72.73) | 58 (67.55) | |
| A5 | Kazakhstan |
74 (50.76) | 62 (63.73) | |
| A6 | New Zealand |
95 (34.60) | 112 (13.76) | |
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India (H) |
5 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 15.000 | 403 | 317 | 1.271 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Bahrain |
5 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 2.000 | 429 | 392 | 1.094 | |
| 3 | Kazakhstan |
5 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 1.000 | 441 | 467 | 0.944 | 5th place match |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei |
5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 0.900 | 434 | 443 | 0.980 | 7th place match |
| 5 | New Zealand |
5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 0.286 | 376 | 443 | 0.849 | 9th place match |
| 6 | Australia |
5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 0.400 | 466 | 487 | 0.957 |
Rules for classification: Pool standing procedure
(H) Host
Matches
All times are Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30).
Bahrain vs. Chinese Taipei
This was the second consecutive AVC Volleyball Cup meeting between Bahrain and Chinese Taipei, following Bahrain's victory in their first tournament matchup in 2025.
| 20 June 2026 15:00 |
Bahrain |
3–1 | Chinese Taipei |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 615 Referees: Jatuporn Kittichaisombat (THA), Lee Kwang-hun (KOR) |
| (25–22, 23–25, 25–22, 25–20) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Abdulwahed (21/61) | Total | Wen Y.K. (21/59) | ||
| Abdulwahed (19/34) | Attack | Wen Y.K. (19/33) | ||
| H. Ali (5/13) | Block | Lu C.Y.K. (2/11) | ||
| Abdulwahed (1/24) | Serve | Chen J.T. (1/13) | ||
India vs. New Zealand
The match marked host nation India's debut in the AVC Volleyball Cup and was its first meeting against New Zealand in the tournament.
| 20 June 2020 21:00 |
India |
3–0 | New Zealand |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Fahad Mohammed I A Alawadhi (QAT), Doszhan Ualkhanov (KAZ) |
| (25–23, 25–19, 25–14) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Chirag (13/48) | Total | Grant (17/43) | ||
| Chirag (10/26) | Attack | Grant (14/31) | ||
| John (5/7) | Block | Hodder (2/2) | ||
| Chirag (1/14) | Serve | Grant (2/9) | ||
Australia vs. Chinese Taipei
This was the third consecutive AVC Volleyball Cup meeting between Australia and Chinese Taipei, with Australia having won both previous matches in 2024 and 2025.
| 21 June 2026 9:00 |
Australia |
1–3 | Chinese Taipei |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 200 Referees: Sulaiman Al Moqbali (OMA), Jatuporn Kittichaisombat (THA) |
| (23–25, 22–25, 25–23, 19–25) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Flowerday (17/58) | Total | Wen Y.K. (23/56) | ||
| Flowerday (16/35) | Attack | Wen Y.K. (22/34) | ||
| Weir (6/14) | Block | Lu C.Y.K. (1/12) | ||
| Aubrey (2/14) | Serve | Chen J.T. (2/20) | ||
New Zealand vs. Bahrain
The match between New Zealand and Bahrain marked the first time the two national teams faced each other in the history of the AVC Volleyball Cup.
| 21 June 2026 12:00 |
New Zealand |
0–3 | Bahrain |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 150 Referees: Doszhan Ualkhanov (KAZ), Fahad Mohammed I A Alawadhi (QAT) |
| (19–25, 21–25, 16–25) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Hodder (11/39) | Total | Mahmood (11/34) | ||
| Hodder (9/19) | Attack | Mahmood (10/13) | ||
| Grant (3/7) | Block | H. Mohamed (3/7) | ||
| Hodder (2/15) | Serve | A. Moh"D (1/3) | ||
India vs. Kazakhstan
This was the first meeting between India and Kazakhstan in the AVC Volleyball Cup, though they had recently played each other in the 2025 CAVA Nations League, where India won.
| 21 June 2026 21:00 |
India |
3–0 | Kazakhstan |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 5,000 Referees: Mary Kerekere (NZL), Agung Purwantoro (INA) |
| (25–16, 25–21, 25–15) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Chirag (14/39) | Total | Mastikhin (16w/34) | ||
| Chirag (12/19) | Attack | Mastikhin (16/25) | ||
| John (3/7) | Block | Zhaxylykov (3/8) | ||
| Chirag (2/18) | Serve | Zhaxylykov (1/12) | ||
Australia vs. Kazakhstan
This was the second meeting between Australia and Kazakhstan in the AVC Volleyball Cup; Kazakhstan won their previous match in 2024.
| 22 June 2026 12:00 |
Australia |
2–3 | Kazakhstan |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 279 Referees: Chih Hao-chang (TPE), Narendrasingh Ripudamansingh Kshatriya (IND) |
| (25–15, 25–21, 23–25, 24–26, 14–16) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Aubrey (21/67) | Total | Mastikhin (19/63) | ||
| Aubrey (17/34) | Attack | Mastikhin (15/38) | ||
| Aubrey (4/13) | Block | Kuznetsov (8/20) | ||
| Flowerday (5/29) | Serve | Mastikhin (3/22) | ||
India vs. Chinese Taipei
This match marks the first meeting between India and Chinese Taipei in the AVC Volleyball Cup, and their first encounter since the 2022 Asian Games, which India won, and the 2022 AVC Cup for Men, which Chinese Taipei won.
| 22 June 2026 21:00 |
India |
3–1 | Chinese Taipei |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Jaek Passier (AUS), Sulaiman Al Moqbali (OMA) |
| (22–25, 25–14, 25–22, 25–22) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Chirag (20/58) | Total | Wen Y.K. (17/62) | ||
| Chirag (17/37) | Attack | Wen Y.K. (15/40) | ||
| John (4/13) | Block | Wang P.H. (4/14) | ||
| Joel (1/14) | Serve | |||
New Zealand vs. Australia
This match marked the first meeting between New Zealand and Australia in the AVC Volleyball Cup, following their previous encounter at the 2025 Oceania Zonal Continental Qualification Tournament, where Australia won.
| 23 June 2026 12:00 |
New Zealand |
3–2 | Australia |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 350 Referees: Narendrasingh Ripudamansingh Kshatriya (IND), Ahmed Ali Hasan (BHR) |
| (16–25, 25–23, 27–25, 19–25, 17–15) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Grant (17/67) | Total | Flowerday (16/49) | ||
| Grant (16/43) | Attack | D'Arcy (14/26) | ||
| Corson (5/12) | Block | O'Dea (1/10) | ||
| Hodder (4/20) | Serve | Flowerday (3/15) | ||
Chinese Taipei vs. Kazakhstan
This match marked the first meeting between Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan in the AVC Volleyball Cup, and their first encounter since the 2022 Asian Games, which Kazakhstan won.
| 23 June 2026 15:00 |
Chinese Taipei |
1–3 | Kazakhstan |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 350 Referees: Agung Purwantoro (INA), Sulaiman Al Moqbali (OMA) |
| (25–20, 24–26, 16–25, 23–25) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Wen Y.K. (20/46) | Total | Mastikhin (23/63) | ||
| Wen Y.K. (17/29) | Attack | Mastikhin (20/40) | ||
| Huang Y.C. (2/3) | Block | Kuznetsov (9/19) | ||
| Wang P.H. (1/11) | Serve | Zhaxylykov, Izbergenuly (1/16) | ||
India vs. Bahrain
This match marked the first meeting between India and Bahrain in the tournament, following two prior matchups at the 2021 Asian Championship where both teams recorded one victory against each other.
| 23 June 2026 21:00 |
India |
3–0 | Bahrain |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 2,500 Referees: Lee Kwang-hun (KOR), Jatuporn Kittichaisombat (THA) |
| (25–21, 25–16, 25–22) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Chirag (15/41) | Total | Mahmood (15/41) | ||
| Chirag (14/25) | Attack | Mahmood (15/28) | ||
| John (5/10) | Block | H. Ali (2/6) | ||
| Serve | H. Ali (1/13) | |||
Chinese Taipei vs. New Zealand
This match marked the first meeting between Chinese Taipei and New Zealand in the tournament, and their first encounter since the 2018 FIVB World Championship qualification, which Chinese Taipei won.
| 25 June 2026 15:00 |
Chinese Taipei |
3–0 | New Zealand |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 550 Referees: Sulaiman Al Moqbali (OMA), Jatuporn Kittichaisombat (THA) |
| (25–19, 25–23, 25–22) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Wen Y.K. (16/43) | Total | Grant (16/42) | ||
| Wen Y.K. (14/24) | Attack | Grant (16/29) | ||
| Lu C.Y.K. (3/7) | Block | Corson (3/7) | ||
| Wen Y.K. (2/16) | Serve | Hodder (3/17) | ||
Bahrain vs. Kazakhstan
This match marked the first meeting between Bahrain and Kazakhstan in the AVC Volleyball Cup, and their first encounter since Bahrain's victory at the 2021 Asian Championship.
| 25 June 2026 18:00 |
Bahrain |
3–1 | Kazakhstan |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 2,152 Referees: Chih Hao-chang (TPE), Lee Kwang-hun (KOR) |
| (22–25, 25–23, 25–17, 25–20) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Abdulwahed (18/60) | Total | Mastikhin (27/69) | ||
| Abdulwahed (16/37) | Attack | Mastikhin (24/46) | ||
| Mohammed (2/8) | Block | Zhaxylykov (5/22) | ||
| M. Alafyah (2/7) | Serve | Zhaxylykov (2/13) | ||
India vs. Australia
This match marked the first meeting between India and Australia at the AVC Volleyball Cup, with their last head-to-head encounter occurring at the 2022 AVC Cup for Men, where Australia won.
| 25 June 2026 21:00 |
India |
3–0 | Australia |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 2,855 Referees: Doszhan Ualkhanov (KAZ), Fahad Mohammed I A Alawadhi (QAT) |
| (26–24, 25–14, 30–28) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Joe (13/39) | Total | Aubrey (16/47) | ||
| Joe (12/22) | Attack | Aubrey (14/29) | ||
| John (2/13) | Block | O'Dea (2/3) | ||
| Shikhar (3/18) | Serve | |||
New Zealand vs. Kazakhstan
This match marked the first meeting between New Zealand and Kazakhstan in any senior international volleyball tournaments.
| 26 June 2026 12:00 |
New Zealand |
1–3 | Kazakhstan |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 315 Referees: Jatuporn Kittichaisombat (THA), Agung Purwantoro (INA) |
| (21–25, 19–25, 25–22, 31–33) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Grant (19/60) | Total | Mastikhin (22/61) | ||
| Grant (17/38) | Attack | Mastikhin (21/38) | ||
| Smith (3/6) | Block | Kabdulov (4/11) | ||
| Hodder (2/16) | Serve | Zhaxylykov (1/14) | ||
Australia vs. Bahrain
This was the second meeting between Australia and Bahrain in the AVC Volleyball Cup, following Bahrain's victory in their 2024 encounter.
| 26 June 2026 21:00 |
Australia |
1–3 | Bahrain |
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex Attendance: 1,021 Referees: Mary Kerekere (NZL), Doszhan Ualkhanov (KAZ) |
| (18–25, 28–26, 19–25, 21–25) P2 Boxscore | ||||
| Scoring leaders | ||||
| Landers (14/36) | Total | Sayed (24/59) | ||
| D'Arcy (12/24) | Attack | Sayed (20/36) | ||
| Landers (4/7) | Block | H. Mohamed (5/12) | ||
| Flowerday (1/14) | Serve | Sayed (3/20) | ||
Notes
- ↑ As China, Iran, and Japan were ineligible due to competing in the 2026 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League, and with Bahrain qualifying as defending champions, their ranking slots were reallocated to the next highest-ranked teams.
- ↑ As South Korea had already qualified, its slot was reallocated to Chinese Taipei.
- ↑ As India and Pakistan had already qualified, their slots were reallocated to Kazakhstan.
- ↑ The FIVB World Ranking before the first game on 20 June 2026.
- ↑ The FIVB World Ranking after the final game on 28 June 2026.
References
- ↑ "AVC Confirms Qualified Teams for AVC Cup 2026". AVC (Press release). 2 February 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ Shukla, Romil (29 May 2026). "Can India Break Into Volleyball's Top 50? AVC Men's Cup 2026 Could Be a Defining Moment". IndiaSportsHub. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "AVC Men's Volleyball Cup to serve off on Saturday in India". Volleyball World. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- 1 2 PTI (26 June 2026). "Dragan Mihailovic calls for stronger system after India's unbeaten AVC Cup run". Sportstar. Ahmedabad: The Hindu. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ Sengupta, Jayantho (29 June 2026). "Jerome Vinith hopes India's AVC Cup bronze helps gainfully address gaps in ecosystem". Sportstar. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
- ↑ "AVC Men's Cup 2026: Drawing of Lots Sets the Stage in Amdavad". AVC (Press release). April 11, 2026. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- ↑ "FIVB Men's Volleyball World Ranking". Volleyball World. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.