1978 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship

The 1978 FIVB Women's World Championship was the eighth edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held from 25 August to 7 September 1978 in the Soviet Union.^[1]

1978 FIVB Women's World Championship

Tournament details
Host nation	Soviet Union
Dates	25 August – 6 September
Teams	24 (1 withdraw)
Venue(s)	(in 4 host cities)
Officially opened by	Leonid Brezhnev
Champions	Cuba (1st title)
Runners-up	Japan
Third place	Soviet Union
Fourth place	South Korea
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Teams

•  Belgium
•  Brazil
•  Bulgaria
•  Canada
•  China
•  Cuba
•  Czechoslovakia
•  Dominican Republic
•  East Germany
•  Finland
•  Hungary
•  Italy
•  Japan
•  Mexico
•  Netherlands
•  North Korea (withdraw)
•  Peru
•  Poland
•  South Korea
•  Soviet Union
•  Tunisia
•  United States
•  West Germany
•  Yugoslavia

Squads

Main article: 1978 FIVB Women's World Championship squads

^[2]

Venues

Pool E, L, Final round	Pool A, C, G, Final round	Leningrad Minsk Riga Volgograd Host cities in the Soviet Union
Riga	Leningrad
Capacity:	Capacity:
Pool D, I, Final round	Pool B, F, H
Minsk	Volgograd
Capacity:	Capacity:

Source:^[1]

Format

The tournament was played in three different stages (first, second and final rounds). In the First round, the 23 participants were divided in six groups (A to F, five groups of four teams and one group of three teams). A single round-robin format was played within each group to determine the teams group position, all teams progressed to the next round.

In the Second round, four new groups were created, two groups of six teams playing for 1st-12th (G and H) and two groups (one of six teams and one of five teams) playing for 13th-23rd (I and L), teams were allocated to a group according to their First round group position (best two teams of each group going to 1st-12th groups and the remaining teams to 13th-23rd groups). A single round-robin format was played within each group to determine the teams group position, matches already played between teams in the First round also counted in this round, all teams progressed to the next round.

In the Final round, teams were allocated to a semifinal for placements according to their Second round group position (groups G and H best two teams to 1st-4th, third and fourth to 5th-8th, fifth and sixth to 9th-12th while groups I and L best two teams to 13th-16th, third and fourth to 16th-20th, fifth and sixth to 21st-23rd). Winners and losers of all semifinals played a last match for final standings places.^[1]

Pools composition

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C	Pool D	Pool E	Pool F
Bulgaria	Italy	Brazil	Belgium	China	Cuba
Dominican Republic	Japan	Canada	Czechoslovakia	Finland	Netherlands
North Korea	Tunisia	South Korea	East Germany	Hungary	Peru
Soviet Union	United States	West Germany	Mexico	Poland	Yugoslavia

Results

First round

Pool A

Location: Leningrad

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Soviet Union	2	2	0	4	6	0	MAX	90	22	4.091	1st–12th pools
2	Bulgaria	2	1	1	3	3	3	1.000	60	62	0.968
3	Dominican Republic	2	0	2	2	0	6	0.000	24	90	0.267	13th–23rd pools

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Soviet Union	3–0	Bulgaria	15–3	15–3	15–9			45–15
26 Aug	Soviet Union	3–0	Dominican Republic	15–1	15–1	15–5			45–7
27 Aug	Bulgaria	3–0	Dominican Republic	15–3	15–8	15–6			45–17

Pool B

Location: Volgograd

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Japan	3	3	0	6	9	2	4.500	151	70	2.157	1st–12th pools
2	United States	3	2	1	5	8	3	2.667	148	84	1.762
3	Italy	3	1	2	4	3	6	0.500	70	99	0.707	13th–23rd pools
4	Tunisia	3	0	3	3	0	9	0.000	19	135	0.141

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Italy	3–0	Tunisia	15–2	15–3	15–4			45–9
25 Aug	Japan	3–2	United States	15–9	7–15	15–11	9–15	15–8	61–58
26 Aug	United States	3–0	Tunisia	15–5	15–1	15–1			45–7
26 Aug	Japan	3–0	Italy	15–5	15–2	15–2			45–9
27 Aug	Japan	3–0	Tunisia	15–2	15–0	15–1			45–3
27 Aug	United States	3–0	Italy	15–11	15–1	15–4			45–16

Pool C

Location: Leningrad

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	South Korea	3	3	0	6	9	0	MAX	135	50	2.700	1st–12th pools
2	Brazil	3	2	1	5	6	4	1.500	105	113	0.929
3	Canada	3	1	2	4	4	6	0.667	111	105	1.057	13th–23rd pools
4	West Germany	3	0	3	3	0	9	0.000	52	135	0.385

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Brazil	3–0	West Germany	15–8	15–9	15–7			45–24
25 Aug	South Korea	3–0	Canada	15–10	15–2	15–10			45–22
26 Aug	South Korea	3–0	West Germany	15–1	15–7	15–8			45–16
26 Aug	Brazil	3–1	Canada	3–15	15–6	15–11	15–12		48–44
27 Aug	South Korea	3–0	Brazil	15–3	15–3	15–6			45–12
27 Aug	Canada	3–0	West Germany	15–1	15–11	15–0			45–12

Pool D

Location: Minsk

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	East Germany	3	3	0	6	9	2	4.500	156	83	1.880	1st–12th pools
2	Czechoslovakia	3	2	1	5	6	3	2.000	124	86	1.442
3	Mexico	3	1	2	4	5	6	0.833	117	139	0.842	13th–23rd pools
4	Belgium	3	0	3	3	0	9	0.000	46	135	0.341

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Czechoslovakia	3–0	Mexico	15–6	20–18	15–3			50–27
25 Aug	East Germany	3–0	Belgium	15–2	15–3	15–4			45–9
26 Aug	Czechoslovakia	3–0	Belgium	15–1	15–8	15–5			45–14
26 Aug	East Germany	3–2	Mexico	15–3	15–17	15–3	6–15	15–7	66–45
27 Aug	Mexico	3–0	Belgium	15–11	15–6	15–6			45–23
27 Aug	East Germany	3–0	Czechoslovakia	15–10	15–6	15–13			45–29

Pool E

Location: Riga

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	China	3	3	0	6	9	0	MAX	136	54	2.519	1st–12th pools
2	Poland	3	2	1	5	6	4	1.500	118	120	0.983
3	Hungary	3	1	2	4	4	6	0.667	122	114	1.070	13th–23rd pools
4	Finland	3	0	3	3	0	9	0.000	47	135	0.348

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Poland	3–0	Finland	15–11	15–12	15–5			45–28
25 Aug	China	3–0	Hungary	15–4	15–12	16–14			46–30
26 Aug	China	3–0	Finland	15–3	15–1	15–4			45–8
26 Aug	Poland	3–1	Hungary	15–13	12–15	15–10	15–9		57–47
27 Aug	China	3–0	Poland	15–2	15–8	15–6			45–16
27 Aug	Hungary	3–0	Finland	15–4	15–2	15–5			45–11

Pool F

Location: Volgograd

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Cuba	3	3	0	6	9	1	9.000	148	59	2.508	1st–12th pools
2	Peru	3	2	1	5	6	3	2.000	112	72	1.556
3	Yugoslavia	3	1	2	4	4	7	0.571	84	146	0.575	13th–23rd pools
4	Netherlands	3	0	3	3	1	9	0.111	73	140	0.521

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
25 Aug	Peru	3–0	Yugoslavia	15–2	15–7	15–1			45–10
25 Aug	Cuba	3–0	Netherlands	15–1	15–4	15–8			45–13
26 Aug	Yugoslavia	3–1	Netherlands	15–6	15–9	5–15	15–13		50–43
26 Aug	Cuba	3–0	Peru	15–7	15–12	15–3			45–22
27 Aug	Cuba	3–1	Yugoslavia	15–5	13–15	15–2	15–2		58–24
27 Aug	Peru	3–0	Netherlands	15–2	15–8	15–7			45–17

Second round

The results and the points of the matches between the same teams that were already played during the first round are taken into account for the second round.

1st–12th pools

Pool G

Location: Leningrad

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	South Korea	5	4	1	9	13	3	4.333	229	145	1.579	Finals
2	Soviet Union	5	4	1	9	12	3	4.000	217	114	1.904
3	China	5	4	1	9	12	4	3.000	213	159	1.340	5th–8th places
4	Brazil	5	2	3	7	6	13	0.462	171	241	0.710
5	Bulgaria	5	1	4	6	5	13	0.385	158	241	0.656	9th–12th places
6	Poland	5	0	5	5	3	15	0.200	154	242	0.636

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
30 Aug	Soviet Union	3–0	Brazil	15–5	15–5	15–6			45–16
30 Aug	China	3–0	Bulgaria	15–11	15–12	15–6			45–29
30 Aug	South Korea	3–0	Poland	15–5	15–8	15–9			45–22
31 Aug	Bulgaria	3–1	Poland	4–15	15–11	15–6	15–9		49–41
31 Aug	South Korea	3–0	Soviet Union	15–13	15–12	15–12			45–37
31 Aug	China	3–0	Brazil	15–3	15–7	15–10			45–20
1 Sep	Brazil	3–2	Poland	15–7	15–8	7–15	6–15	15–10	58–55
1 Sep	South Korea	3–0	Bulgaria	15–9	15–2	15–3			45–14
1 Sep	Soviet Union	3–0	China	15–4	15–4	15–10			45–18
2 Sep	China	3–1	South Korea	16–14	14–16	15–9	15–10		60–49
2 Sep	Soviet Union	3–0	Poland	15–2	15–8	15–10			45–20
2 Sep	Brazil	3–2	Bulgaria	15–4	6–15	14–16	15–7	15–9	65–51

Pool H

Location: Volgograd

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Cuba	5	5	0	10	15	0	MAX	225	114	1.974	Finals
2	Japan	5	4	1	9	12	8	1.500	261	206	1.267
3	United States	5	3	2	8	11	6	1.833	213	194	1.098	5th–8th places
4	East Germany	5	2	3	7	6	11	0.545	192	221	0.869
5	Peru	5	1	4	6	6	14	0.429	202	266	0.759	9th–12th places
6	Czechoslovakia	5	0	5	5	4	15	0.267	173	265	0.653

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
30 Aug	Japan	3–0	East Germany	15–9	15–3	15–10			45–22
30 Aug	Cuba	3–0	United States	15–7	15–3	15–10			45–20
30 Aug	Peru	3–2	Czechoslovakia	16–14	6–15	15–2	8–15	15–5	60–51
31 Aug	Japan	3–1	Peru	13–15	15–9	15–4	15–6		58–34
31 Aug	United States	3–0	East Germany	15–13	15–11	15–11			45–35
31 Aug	Cuba	3–0	Czechoslovakia	15–1	15–9	15–12			45–22
1 Sep	United States	3–0	Peru	15–8	15–10	15–11			45–29
1 Sep	Cuba	3–0	East Germany	15–4	15–6	15–13			45–23
1 Sep	Japan	3–2	Czechoslovakia	13–15	15–4	15–8	12–15	15–5	70–47
2 Sep	East Germany	3–2	Peru	12–15	15–10	10–15	15–6	15–11	67–57
2 Sep	Cuba	3–0	Japan	15–8	15–9	15–10			45–27
2 Sep	United States	3–0	Czechoslovakia	15–0	15–12	15–12			45–24

13th–23rd pools

Pool I

Location: Minsk

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Mexico	5	5	0	10	15	4	3.750	265	164	1.616	13th–16th places
2	Yugoslavia	5	4	1	9	14	4	3.500	246	158	1.557
3	Italy	5	3	2	8	9	6	1.500	175	157	1.115	17th–20th places
4	Netherlands	5	2	3	7	9	9	1.000	229	192	1.193
5	Belgium	5	1	4	6	3	12	0.250	123	185	0.665	21st–23rd places
6	Tunisia	5	0	5	5	0	15	0.000	43	225	0.191

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
30 Aug	Yugoslavia	3–0	Belgium	15–10	15–3	15–7			45–20
30 Aug	Mexico	3–0	Tunisia	15–0	15–1	15–2			45–3
30 Aug	Italy	3–0	Netherlands	15–13	15–12	15–11			45–36
31 Aug	Belgium	3–0	Tunisia	15–3	15–2	15–0			45–5
31 Aug	Mexico	3–2	Netherlands	18–16	5–15	15–12	12–15	15–2	65–60
31 Aug	Yugoslavia	3–0	Italy	15–6	15–11	15–6			45–23
1 Sep	Netherlands	3–0	Tunisia	15–6	15–12	15–1			45–19
1 Sep	Italy	3–0	Belgium	15–8	15–8	15–6			45–22
1 Sep	Mexico	3–2	Yugoslavia	14–16	15–13	6–15	15–6	15–11	65–61
2 Sep	Mexico	3–0	Italy	15–7	15–7	15–3			45–17
2 Sep	Netherlands	3–0	Belgium	15–2	15–10	15–1			45–13
2 Sep	Yugoslavia	3–0	Tunisia	15–2	15–2	15–3			45–7

Pool L

Location: Riga

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Hungary	4	4	0	8	12	0	MAX	181	61	2.967	13th–16th places
2	Canada	4	3	1	7	9	4	2.250	159	123	1.293
3	Dominican Republic	4	2	2	6	6	8	0.750	150	164	0.915	17th–20th places
4	West Germany	4	1	3	5	4	11	0.364	135	199	0.678
5	Finland	4	0	4	4	4	12	0.333	143	221	0.647	21st–23rd places

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
30 Aug	West Germany	3–2	Finland	12–15	12–15	15–13	15–4	15–10	69–57
30 Aug	Hungary	3–0	Dominican Republic	15–6	16–14	15–1			46–21
31 Aug	Canada	3–1	Finland	15–8	7–15	15–6	16–14		53–43
31 Aug	Dominican Republic	3–1	West Germany	15–3	7–15	15–7	15–13		52–38
1 Sep	Hungary	3–0	West Germany	15–7	15–2	15–7			45–16
1 Sep	Canada	3–0	Dominican Republic	18–16	15–1	15–6			48–23
2 Sep	Hungary	3–0	Canada	15–6	15–0	15–7			45–13
2 Sep	Dominican Republic	3–1	Finland	8–15	16–14	15–1	15–2		54–32

Final round

21st–23rd places

	21st–23rd semifinals				21st place
	5 September – Leningrad
	Finland	3
					6 September – Leningrad
	Tunisia	0
					Finland	3
					Belgium	2
	Belgium
	Bye

21st–23rd semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	Finland	3–0	Tunisia	15–7	15–4	15–4			45–15

21st place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Finland	3–2	Belgium	14–16	15–10	11–15	15–4	15–12	70–57

17th–20th places

	17th–20th semifinals				17th place
	5 September – Riga
	Netherlands	3
					6 September – Riga
	Dominican Republic	1
					Netherlands	3
	5 September – Riga
					West Germany	1
	West Germany	3
	Italy	1
					19th place
					6 September – Riga
					Dominican Republic	3
					Italy	2

17th–20th semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	Netherlands	3–1	Dominican Republic	20–18	15–7	13–15	17–15		65–55
5 Sep	West Germany	3–1	Italy	14–16	15–10	15–9	17–15		61–50

19th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Dominican Republic	3–2	Italy	1–15	15–10	15–13	5–15	15–10	51–63

17th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Netherlands	3–1	West Germany	15–5	15–5	9–15	15–9		54–34

13th–16th places

	13th–16th semifinals				13th place
	5 September – Minsk
	Hungary	3
					6 September – Minsk
	Yugoslavia	0
					Hungary	3
	5 September – Minsk
					Canada	0
	Canada	3
	Mexico	0
					15th place
					6 September – Minsk
					Yugoslavia	0
					Mexico	3

13th–16th semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	Hungary	3–0	Yugoslavia	15–10	15–3	15–5			45–18
5 Sep	Canada	3–0	Mexico	15–13	15–10	15–4			45–27

15th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Yugoslavia	0–3	Mexico	10–15	13–15	3–15			26–45

13th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Hungary	3–0	Canada	15–5	15–4	15–11			45–20

9th–12th places

	9th–12th semifinals				9th place
	5 September – Minsk
	Bulgaria	3
					6 September – Minsk
	Czechoslovakia	2
					Bulgaria	3
	5 September – Minsk
					Peru	2
	Peru	3
	Poland	0
					11th place
					6 September – Minsk
					Czechoslovakia	2
					Poland	3

9th–12th semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	Bulgaria	3–2	Czechoslovakia	15–11	7–15	15–8	9–15	15–13	61–62
5 Sep	Peru	3–0	Poland	15–4	15–6	15–11			45–21

11th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Czechoslovakia	2–3	Poland	4–15	15–3	16–18	15–8	6–15	56–59

9th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Bulgaria	3–2	Peru	15–9	11–15	11–15	15–8	17–15	69–62

5th–8th places

	5th–8th semifinals				5th place
	5 September – Riga
	United States	3
					6 September – Riga
	Brazil	0
					United States	3
	5 September – Riga
					China	0
	China	3
	East Germany	2
					7th place
					6 September – Riga
					Brazil	3
					East Germany	2

5th–8th semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	United States	3–0	Brazil	15–5	15–13	15–8			45–26
5 Sep	China	3–2	East Germany	15–7	11–15	9–15	15–5	15–8	65–50

7th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Brazil	3–2	East Germany	16–18	16–14	16–14	11–15	15–13	74–74

5th place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	United States	3–0	China	15–13	15–11	15–10			45–34

Finals

	Semifinals				Final
	5 September – Leningrad
	Cuba	3
					6 September – Leningrad
	Soviet Union	1
					Cuba	3
	5 September – Leningrad
					Japan	0
	Japan	3
	South Korea	1
					3rd place
					6 September – Leningrad
					Soviet Union	3
					South Korea	1

Semifinals

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
5 Sep	Cuba	3–1	Soviet Union	12–15	16–14	15–10	15–12		58–51
5 Sep	Japan	3–1	South Korea	12–15	15–8	15–11	15–11		57–45

3rd place match

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Soviet Union	3–1	South Korea	15–2	15–7	11–15	15–9		56–33

Final

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
6 Sep	Cuba	3–0	Japan	15–6	15–9	15–10			45–25

Final standing

Rank Team  Cuba  Japan  Soviet Union 4  South Korea 5  United States 6  China 7  Brazil 8  East Germany 9  Bulgaria 10  Peru 11  Poland 12  Czechoslovakia 13  Hungary 14  Canada 15  Mexico 16  Yugoslavia 17  Netherlands 18  West Germany 19  Dominican Republic 20  Italy 21  Finland 22  Belgium 23  Tunisia 24  North Korea

1978 Women's World champions  Cuba 1st title Team roster Nelly Barnet, Ana Díaz, Erenia Díaz, Ana María García, Mavis Guilarte, Libertad González, Sirenia Martínez, Mercedes Pérez, Mercedes Pomares, Imilsis Téllez, Lucila Urgelles Head coach Eugenio George