In Kazakhstan’s fifth World Grand Prix appearance last year they finished fourth in Group 3’s Intercontinental Round and progressed to the Final Four, where they lost to Bulgaria in the semifinal and Croatia in the third-place decider. They finished 17th in 2013 and their best result was 10th on their debut in 2007. At the 2014 World Championship they finished fourth in their first round pool above Thailand and Mexico and, although they lost all their second round matches, they still recorded their best finish of equal-15th. They finished sixth at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.
The country has a rich volleyball tradition featuring some notable players from the Kazakhstan region who won international championships with the all-conquering Soviet Union teams. After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, the new national side made their debut at the Asian Championships in 1993, coming fifth. Twelve years later they won their first medal at the competition, a silver, and in 2012 they added an Asian Cup bronze to their medal collection. They completed their journey to becoming a reputable international volleyball nation when they qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where they finished equal-ninth.