The women’s tournament at the 2026 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships concluded with a fitting finale in Hangzhou, China, where eight days of exceptional competition celebrated the very best of the global game.
After a week filled with dramatic rallies, breakthrough performances and inspiring teamwork, the United States were crowned world champions following a 3-1 victory over defending champions Brazil.
The Americans controlled much of the final before Brazil fought back to claim the third set, but the Paralympic champions responded emphatically to secure their second World Championship title.
Hosts China completed an unforgettable tournament by winning the bronze medal in front of their home crowd, defeating Canada in straight sets to earn their place on the podium.
The World Championships also awarded the first qualification places for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. With the United States already qualified as hosts of LA28, Brazil and China secured the remaining qualification places through their podium finishes.
Women’s Final Standings
🥇 1. USA (World Champions | Qualified for LA28 as host nation)
🥈 2. Brazil (Qualified for LA28)
🥉 3. China (Qualified for LA28)
4. Canada
5. Italy
6. Ukraine
7. IR Iran
8. Japan
9. Netherlands
10. Slovenia
11. Rwanda
12. Germany
13. Hungary
14. France
15. Kenya
16. Thailand
LA28 Qualification
The 2026 World Championships awarded the first qualification places for the LA28 Paralympic Games. As hosts, the United States had already secured their place by reaching the top eight. The remaining two qualification spots were earned by runners-up Brazil and bronze medallists China.
Women’s Dream Team Awards
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): Heidi Peters (Canada)
- Best Spiker: Zhang Lijun (China)
- Best Setter: Gizele Maria da Costa Dias (Brazil)
- Best Server: Hu Huizi (China)
- Best Receiver: Lu Huang (China)
- Best Blocker: Julia Farisai Chisolm (Canada)
- Best Libero: Agata Godoy Brito Marinho (Brazil)
The women’s competition highlighted the continued growth and depth of Sitting Volleyball worldwide, with established powers defending their status while emerging nations continued to close the gap through outstanding performances and remarkable determination.
Every team contributed to making Hangzhou 2026 a memorable championship, demonstrating the passion, skill and resilience that define our sport.
World ParaVolley thanks the Hangzhou Organising Committee, volunteers, officials, referees, classifiers, medical teams, event staff and partners for delivering a truly outstanding World Championship.
Most importantly, thank you to every athlete, coach and team staff member who represented their countries with pride and inspired fans across the globe.
As one championship comes to an end, the journey towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games has only just begun.
