| Ranking | w | l | gf | ga | points | ratio | Ol 1980 | | 1. China | 7 | 0 | 21: | 4 | 364/216 | 1.685 | Q NP | | 2. Japan | 5 | 2 | 19: | 7 | 361/246 | 1.467 | Q NP | | 3. Soviet Union | 5 | 2 | 15: | 7 | 267/237 | 1.127 | 1. | | 4. United States | 5 | 2 | 17: | 9 | 335/280 | 1.196 | Q NP | | 5. South Korea | 3 | 4 | 9: | 14 | 265/281 | 0.943 | | | 6. Cuba | 2 | 5 | 10: | 16 | 296/332 | 0.892 | 5. | | 7. Bulgaria | 1 | 6 | 5: | 19 | 198/335 | 0.591 | 3.NC | | 8. Brazil | 0 | 7 | 1: | 21 | 166/325 | 0.511 | 7.NC |
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| First major tournament aftyer boycott of Olympics Women 1976. Japan, China and United States boycotted the games. Bulgaria and Brazil replaced them. | | This was first world title for China. |
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| Team | Chin | Japa | Sovi | Unit | Kore | Cuba | Bulg | Braz | | China | --- | 3:2 | 3:0 | 3:2 | 3:0 | 3:0 | 3:0 | 3:0 | | Japan | | --- | 3:0 | | 3:0 | 3:1 | 3:0 | 3:0 | | Soviet Union | | | --- | 3:0 | 3:0 | 3:0 | 3:1 | 3:0 | | United States | | 3:2 | | --- | 3:0 | 3:1 | 3:0 | 3:0 | | South Korea | | | | | --- | 3:2 | 3:0 | 3:0 | | Cuba | | | | | | --- | 3:1 | 3:0 | | Bulgaria | | | | | | | --- | 3:1 | | Brazil | | | | | | | | --- |
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| Awards | | MVP: Sun Jinfang (CHN) | | Attacker: Flo Hyman (USA) | | Blocker: Yelena Akhaminova (URS) | | Setter: Sun Jinfang (CHN) | | Server:: Rieko Mizuhara (JPN) | | Deffender: Miyoko Hirose (JPN) | | Spirit of Fight: Mercedez “Mamita” Perez (CUB) | | Coach: Weimin Yuan (CHN) |
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| Best 6 | | Rita Crockett (USA) | | Flo Hyman (USA) | | Lang Ping (CHN) | | Sun Jinfang (CHN) | | Ljudmila Tchrnysheva (URS) | | Miyoko Hirose (JPN) |
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| date | team 1 | score | team 2 | pts | g1 | g2 | g3 | g4 | g5 | | Fri 06.11.81 |  China | 3-0 |  Brazil | 45-12 | 15-4 | 15-5 | 15-3 | | | Fri 06.11.81 |  Japan | 3-0 |  Soviet Union | 45-9 | 15-1 | 15-5 | 15-3 | | | Fri 06.11.81 |  Cuba | 3-1 |  Bulgaria | 58-46 | 12-15 | 16-14 | 15-12 | 15-5 | | | Fri 06.11.81 |  United States | 3-0 |  South Korea | 45-26 | 15-8 | 15-12 | 15-6 | | | Sun 08.11.81 | China | 3-0 | Soviet Union | 46-18 | 15-4 | 16-14 | 15-0 | | | Sun 08.11.81 | Japan | 3-0 | South Korea | 45-26 | 15-8 | 15-11 | 15-7 | | | Sun 08.11.81 | Cuba | 3-0 | Brazil | 45-21 | 15-6 | 15-5 | 15-10 | | | Sun 08.11.81 | United States | 3-0 | Bulgaria | 45-15 | 15-3 | 15-9 | 15-3 | | | Tue 10.11.81 | United States | 3-1 | Cuba | 52-34 | 15-11 | 15-5 | 7-15 | 15-3 | | | Tue 10.11.81 | Japan | 3-0 | Bulgaria | 45-11 | 15-1 | 15-7 | 15-3 | | | Tue 10.11.81 | Soviet Union | 3-0 | Brazil | 45-18 | 15-8 | 15-5 | 15-5 | | | Tue 10.11.81 | China | 3-0 | South Korea | 45-29 | 15-12 | 15-9 | 15-8 | | | Wed 11.11.81 | China | 3-0 | Bulgaria | 45-15 | 15-6 | 15-3 | 15-6 | | | Wed 11.11.81 | Soviet Union | 3-0 | South Korea | 46-31 | 15-11 | 15-6 | 16-14 | | | Wed 11.11.81 | United States | 3-0 | Brazil | 45-26 | 15-4 | 15-12 | 15-10 | | | Wed 11.11.81 | Japan | 3-1 | Cuba | 59-40 | 15-13 | 14-16 | 15-6 | 15-5 | | | Fri 13.11.81 | United States | 3-2 | Japan | 68-62 | 15-10 | 11-15 | 15-13 | 12-15 | 15-9 | | Fri 13.11.81 | South Korea | 3-0 | Brazil | 45-24 | 15-5 | 15-6 | 15-13 | | | Fri 13.11.81 | Soviet Union | 3-1 | Bulgaria | 58-42 | 15-11 | 15-11 | 13-15 | 15-5 | | | Fri 13.11.81 | China | 3-0 | Cuba | 45-26 | 15-4 | 15-13 | 15-9 | | | Sun 15.11.81 | China | 3-2 | United States | 72-56 | 15-8 | 13-15 | 15-11 | 14-16 | 15-6 | | Sun 15.11.81 | Japan | 3-0 | Brazil | 45-26 | 15-3 | 15-10 | 15-13 | | | Sun 15.11.81 | South Korea | 3-0 | Bulgaria | 45-14 | 15-5 | 15-6 | 15-3 | | | Sun 15.11.81 | Soviet Union | 3-0 | Cuba | 46-31 | 15-8 | 16-14 | 15-7 | | | Mon 16.11.81 | Bulgaria | 3-1 | Brazil | 55-39 | 10-15 | 15-8 | 15-7 | 15-9 | | | Mon 16.11.81 | South Korea | 3-2 | Cuba | 63-62 | 11-15 | 7-15 | 15-10 | 15-11 | 15-11 | | Mon 16.11.81 | Soviet Union | 3-0 | United States | 45-24 | 15-11 | 15-4 | 15-9 | | | Mon 16.11.81 | China | 3-2 | Japan | 66-60 | 15-8 | 15-7 | 12-15 | 7-15 | 17-15 |
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| 1. China | | Sun Jinfang | | Lang Ping | | Zhu Ling | | Liang Yan | | Zhang Rongfang | | Zhou Xiaolan | | Coach: Weimin Yuan |
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| 7. Bulgaria | | Verka Stoyanova (CSKA) | | Rumyana Kaisheva (CSKA) | | Tsvetana Bozhurina (CSKA) | | M. Tosheva (CSKA) | | Tanya Dimitrova (Levski-Sp) | | R. Mihaylova (Levski-Sp) | | G. Stancheva (Levski-Sp) | | A. Uzunova (Trimontsium) | | Evgenia Koseva (Akad Sf) | | Aneta Ivanova (Akad Sf) | | Sv. Petrova (Shumen) |
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| 8. Brazil | | Blenda Bartels | | Heloísa Roese | | Denise Mattioli | | Celia Garritano | | Fernanda Emerick | | Dulce Thompson | | Helga Suffart | | Paula Hernandez | | Adriane Paulo Sueli | | Sílvia Montanarini | | Regina Uchoa | | Sandra Suruagy | | Coach: Enio Figueiredo | | Coach: Radamés Lattari |
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