The Azerbaijan women's national volleyball team () is governed by the Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation (AVF) and represents Azerbaijan in international CEV and FIVB tournaments.Azerbaijani women’s volleyball team makes it to CEV championship quarterfinals (PHOTO) trend news agency, 25 September 2017. Accessed 3 August 2020.
History Origins and Early Independence (1990s) Volleyball has deep historical roots in the region, having produced iconic players such as Olympic multi-medalist Inna Ryskal during the Soviet era. Following the restoration of national independence, the team made its debut on the global stage at the 1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Brazil, finishing in ninth place. Longtime head coach Faig Garayev played a foundational role during this era, establishing structural stability and a distinct tactical identity for the squad.
Rise to European Prominence (2000s–2010s) Bolstered by the continental success of domestic club Azerrail Baku, the national side emerged as a major competitive force across Europe in the early 2000s. The team achieved a breakthrough at the 2005 Women's European Volleyball Championship in Croatia, finishing in fourth place. Powered by world-class attackers such as Natalya Mammadova and Polina Rahimova, Azerbaijan regularly qualified for prestigious events, including the 2006, 2014, and 2018 World Championships. In 2016, the squad captured its first major international trophy by winning the CEV Women's European Volleyball League title, followed by gold at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku. Co-hosting the 2017 European Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan matched its best-ever continental finish by placing fourth in front of a home crowd.
Transitional Era and Regional Success (2020–present) Following the peak of the 2017 campaign, the national team entered a rebuilding phase marked by squad turnover and the phasing out of its golden generation. Azerbaijan shifted its focus toward integrating younger talent while maintaining regular appearances in the CEV European Golden League and EuroVolley tournaments. The team has also enjoyed success in regional multi-sport competitions, capturing bronze medals at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games and silver medals at the 2025 edition. Today, women's volleyball remains one of the most decorated and historically prominent team sports in Azerbaijan's sporting history.
Competitive record Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
World Championship World Championship recordYearRoundPositionSquad 1994 Group stage 9th 3 1 2 4 6 Squad 1998Did not qualify 2002 2006 Second round 13th 9 4 5 14 18 Squad 2010Did not qualify 2014 Second round 15th 9 4 5 14 19 Squad 2018 Second round 15th 9 2 7 8 22 Squad / 2022Did not qualify 2025 / 2027To be determined 2029Total0 titles4/223011194065—
European Championship European Championship recordYearRoundPositionSquad 2003Did not qualify 2005 Semifinals 4th 7 4 3 12 11 Squad / 2007 Playoff round 12th 8 1 7 4 21 Squad 2009 Playoff round 12th 8 1 7 8 23 Squad / 2011 Playoff round 9th 4 1 3 6 10 Squad / 2013 Preliminary round 15th 3 0 3 1 9 Squad / 2015 Preliminary round 14th 3 0 3 1 9 Squad / 2017 Semifinals 4th 6 4 2 15 7 Squad /// 2019 Round of 16 10th 6 4 2 12 10 Squad /// 2021 Preliminary round 24th 5 0 5 1 15Squad /// 2023 Preliminary round 17th 5 2 3 8 11Squad/// 2026 Round of 16 13th 6 3 3 10 12Squad 2028To be determinedTotal0 titles11/3555173868126—
European League European League recordYearRoundPositionSquad 2014 League round 4th 12 5 7 21 25 Squad / 2015Did Not Participate / 2016 Final 1st 10 10 0 30 5 Squad / 2017Did Not Participate 2018 Golden league 5th 6 5 1 16 7 Squad 2019 Golden league 10th 6 0 6 6 18 Squad 2021 Golden league 11th 6 0 6 2 18 Squad 2022Withdrew / 2023Did Not Participate 2024 Golden league 8th 6 2 4 9 12 Squad 2025 Golden league 12th 6 0 6 2 18 Squad 2026 League round 12th 6 3 3 10 9 SquadTotal1 titles8/1758253386112—
Islamic Solidarity Games Islamic Solidarity Games recordYearRoundPosition 2017 Final 1st 5 5 0 15 1 2021 Semifinal 3rd 5 4 1 13 4 2025 Final 2nd 5 3 2 9 6Total1 title1/3151233711
European Games European Games recordYearRoundPositionSquad 2015 Semifinals 4th 8 5 3 19 13 SquadTotal0 titles1/18531913—
Current squad The following is the roster for the 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship.
Head coach: Faig Garayev
No.NameDate of birthClub DH Volley Leningradka DH Volley (c) Turan VC Ganja VC Turan VC DH Volley VK Omichka Turan VC Panionios V.C. DH Volley UNEC VC Milli Aviasiya Akademiyasi VC Yenisey
Records Rankings Azerbaijan achieved its highest ranking in the FIVB Senior World Rankings in 2018, when it was ranked #15 in the world.FIVB SENIOR WORLD RANKING WOMEN Archive National team had its lowest ranking in June 2026, when it was ranked #50 in the world with 68.83 points. FIVB Senior World Ranking - Women
Managers
Azerbaijan Team ManagersFromTo Faig Garayev 1992 2013 Aleksandr Chervyakov 2013 2015 Bülent Karslioglu 2015 2015 Faig Garayev 2016 2018 Giovanni Caprara 2019 2019 Vasif Talibov 2020 2020 Vugar Aliyev 2021 2022 Eldar Yusubov 2022 2022 Ataman Güneyligil 2023 2023 Güneyligil to lead Azerbaijan at EuroVolley 2023 Faig Garayev 2023 Present
Captains Azerbaijan Team CaptainsFromToAlla Hasanova 1992 2005Oksana Kurt 2006 2010Natalya Mammadova 2010 2011Oksana Kurt 2011 2015Odina Bayramova 2016 2019Ayshan Abdulazimova 2020 present
Notable former players Alla Hasanova (1992-2005) Yelena Shabovta (1994-2006) Oksana Kurt (1998-2015) Valeriya Mammadova (2002-2017) Yelena Parkhomenko (2003-2016) Inessa Korkmaz (2004-2009) Oksana Mammadyarova (2004-2011) Kseniya Poznyak (2004-2017) Natalya Mammadova (2004-2018) Aynur Imanova (2006-2026) Polina Rahimova (2007-2026) Odina Bayramova (2014-2023)
References
External links Official website Archived website FIVB profile Azerbaijan national team Volleybox