Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2, 2018 - Bulgaria lost both their previous matches at home to Serbia and Australia and are now up against reigning European champions Russia Sunday in Sofia for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League as they try to break the pattern. But Bulgaria have won only eight of their 47 matches against Russia at world level.
Head-to-Head
• Bulgaria have won only eight of their 47 matches against Russia (including as Soviet Union and CIS) at world level major competitions.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Russia have won nine of their last 10 world level major competition fixtures against Bulgaria, with the exception of their most recent meeting: 3-2 win for Bulgaria at the 2017 World League.
• Bulgaria could win consecutive matches against Russia (including as Soviet Union) in world level major competitions for only the second time, after 2002-2003 when Bulgaria won at the 2002 world championships (3-0) and 2003 World League (3-1).
• As Soviet Union, Russia won 18 of their 19 world level matches against Bulgaria with the exception of a 3-0 defeat at the 1970 world championships.
• In Moscow in 1980, the Soviet Union claimed gold in the men's volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games by defeating Bulgaria 3-1 in the final.
• At the 2017 European championships, Russia defeated Bulgaria 3-0 in the group stage on their way to the European title.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria have lost their last two matches at the VNL, 3-2 against Serbia and 3-0 versus Australia.
• The last time Bulgaria failed to win a set in successive major world level matches was in their last two at the 2014 World Championships
• Bulgaria have conceded at least one set in each of their last 26 fixtures at major world level, since a straight-sets win against Argentina at the 2015 World League.
• Todor Skrimov has scored 52 points at the VNL of which 12 from serves. He scored three aces against Australia.
• Svetoslav Gotsev (15) and Viktor Yosifov (13) have scored most points from stuff blocks for Bulgaria.
Russia
• Russia have recorded three wins and two defeats at the VNL.
• Russia have lost their last two five-setters at major world level, against Brazil at the 2017 World League and versus Serbia in their last Nations League match.
• The last time Russia lost three successive major world level fixtures that went into a fifth set was from 2014 to 2015.
• Dmitriy Muserskiy scored a team-high 23 points in Russia's five-set defeat against Serbia. Five of those points came from stuff blocks.
• Muserskiy is Russia's leading scorer this campaign. He has scored 78 points of which 55 from spikes, 15 from stuff blocks and eight from serves.