Lausanne, Switzerland, June 23, 2018 - After shutting out table leaders France on Saturday at home in Modena, Italy lived to fight another day in the race for a ticket to the Final Six of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League - but it could well be all over for them if, several hours earlier in Melbourne, Poland beat Australia to move beyond the reach of Italy. Italy have beaten USA in four of their last five encounters.
Head-to-Head
• Italy have won four of the last five matches against the United States at world level. The last of these victories came at the Grand Champions Cup in 2017.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• USA last beat Italy at the World League in 2017, 3-0.
• USA's last three wins versus Italy came in straight sets.
• Since the United States won gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, they have a W11-L10 record against Italy at world level matches.
Italy
• Italy ended a two-match losing run in the VNL by defeating France 3-0 on Saturday. France were the Nations League leaders before matchround 14.
• Italy could win consecutive world level major tournament matches by a 3-0 score line for the first time since a run of four in the 2016 World League.
• Italy still have a chance of qualifying for the final round of the VNL. They need to win, if Poland lose to Australia.
• Italy can win at least nine matches at a world level tournament for the first time since 10 wins at the 2015 World Cup.
• Ivan Zaytsev was Italy's top scorer against France, netting 23 points.
United States
• The United States have lost their last two VNL matches: 3-2 against France and 3-0 against Russia. They had also lost two of their first 12 matches in the VNL.
• United States could lose three consecutive world level major tournament matches for the first time since they were beaten in their opening three fixtures of the 2017 World League.
• The last time USA suffered successive straight-set defeats in a world level major tournament was in the 2015 World League (twice against Iran).
• The United States have played four five-setters (W2-L2) in this tournament. Only in the World League in 1993 (W2-L3) and 2014 (W4-L1) did they have more five-setters in a world level major competition.
• Kyle Ensing was USA's top scorer in the defeat against Russia on 15 points.