Lille, France, July 4, 2018 - The United States of America debut in the finals of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League here on Thursday in a deciding match against Poland that could decide all in Pool B. The reigning world champions, who lost their opening match to Russia in four sets, are up against the ropes and just two sets by USA would knock them out of contention, leaving USA and Russia to battle it out for first place in the pool. Poland and USA meet for the 37th time in history, with the series tied at 18-18. When the two met in Chicago in VNL pool play last month, USA swept Poland in straight sets.
Head-to-Head
• The head-to-head between the United States and Poland in world level major competitions is balanced, as both teams have won 18 of their previous 36 encounters.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• The United States have won three consecutive world level major tournament matches against Poland - 3-0 in Rio de Janeiro in the 2016 Olympic Games quarterfinal, 3-1 in Lodz in the 2017 World League and 3-0 in Chicago in the 2018 VNL (16 June).
• The United States could win four consecutive world level major tournament matches versus Poland for the second time, after a run of six in a row from 1986 to 2000. The end of that winning streak was the only time USA led Poland in the head-to-head in world level major tournament matches between the two nations (6-5).
• Poland's most recent world level major tournament victory against the United States was a 3-1 triumph in Tokyo in the 2015 World Cup. Despite the defeat, USA still went on to win the tournament.
United States
• The United States qualified for the final round of the VNL by finishing in third place in the preliminary round behind France and Russia.
• In the final week of the VNL preliminary round, the United States lost two of their three matches. Those defeats were against the teams who finished above them in the table: 3-2 v France, 3-0 v Russia.
• The last medal for the United States at a world level major tournament came at the 2016 Olympic Games (bronze). Their last world level major tournament victory came at the 2015 World Cup.
• The United States finished in fourth place at both of the last two world level major tournaments, the 2017 World League and 2017 Grand Champions Cup.
• Of USA's 15 VNL matches, four went to a deciding set (W2-L2). Only in the 1993 World League (W2-L3) and 2014 World League (W4-L1) have they been involved in more five-setters in a single world level major tournament.
• Matt Anderson (168) is the leading USA scorer in the VNL.
Poland
• Poland lost their opening match of the final round at the 2018 VNL 3-1 versus Russia. They need a win against USA for full points to keep a chance of reaching the semifinals.
• Poland have lost five of their last seven VNL matches, after they won eight of their first nine fixtures in the competition.
• In those last five defeats, Poland claimed only two sets: in 3-1 defeats against Brazil (preliminary round) and Russia (final round). The other three defeats came in straight sets.
• The team that won the opening set has gone on to win all 16 VNL matches involving Poland.
• The last time Poland finished on the podium of a world level major tournament was at the 2015 World Cup (third). Their last world level major title was the 2014 World Championships.
• Bartosz Kurek scored a match-high 23 points in the 3-1 defeat against Russia, almost twice the amount of points from the next most prolific Polish scorer (Artur Szalpuk 12).