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
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
Teams
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (withdraw)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Squads
Venues
Source:
[
]
Format
The tournament was played in three different stages (first, second and final rounds). In the , 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
A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & ...
format was played within each group to determine the teams group position, all teams progressed to the next round.
In the , 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 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
A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & ...
format was played within each group to determine the teams group position, matches already played between teams in the also counted in this round, all teams progressed to the next round.
In the , teams were allocated to a semifinal for placements according to their 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.[
]
Pools composition
Results
First round
Pool A
Location: Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
Pool B
Location: Volgograd
Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...
Pool C
Location: Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
Pool D
Location: Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
Pool E
Location: Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
Pool F
Location: Volgograd
Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...
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
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
=Pool H
=
Location: Volgograd
Volgograd,. formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area of , with a population ...
13th–23rd pools
=Pool I
=
Location: Minsk
Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
=Pool L
=
Location: Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
Final round
21st–23rd places
=21st–23rd semifinals
=
=21st place match
=
17th–20th places
=17th–20th semifinals
=
=19th place match
=
=17th place match
=
13th–16th places
=13th–16th semifinals
=
=15th place match
=
=13th place match
=
9th–12th places
=9th–12th semifinals
=
=11th place match
=
=9th place match
=
5th–8th places
=5th–8th semifinals
=
=7th place match
=
=5th place match
=
Finals
=Semifinals
=
=3rd place match
=
=Final
=
Final standing
References
External links
FIVB Results
(archived)
Federation Internationale de Volleyball
{{FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship
FIVB Women's World Championship
FIVB Women's World Championship
FIVB Women's World Championship
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
Sports competitions in Saint Petersburg
1970s in Leningrad
Women's volleyball in the Soviet Union
August 1978 sports events in Europe
September 1978 sports events in Europe