Lausanne, Switzerland, June 17, 2018 - Depending on what has previously happened between Poland and Serbia, USA could already collect their ticket to the Final Six of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League with a win over Iran Sunday in Chicago. USA and Iran meet for the 15th time in history, with the Americans leading the series 9-5.
Head-to-Head
• The United States and Iran have met 14 times at world level major competitions. United States lead Iran with nine wins to five.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Iran won the last world level major competition meeting between these teams, 3-2 during last year's Grand Champions Cup.
• The previous two matches between these teams on American soil, in San Diego during the 2015 World League, finished in 3-1 victories for United States.
United States
• The United States defeated Poland 3-0 on Saturday, a day after they defeated Serbia 3-0. They have now won nine of their 11 matches in the VNL.
• The last time USA recorded at least 10 wins at a major world level competition was in the 2015 World Cup, 10 wins.
• USA could claim three successive wins in straight sets in world level major competition for the first time since the 2015 World Cup, when they had four in a row.
• USA also won their previous two matches at home by 3-0 (against Russia and Australia at the 2016 World League).
• The last nation to win a set against USA in United States in world level major competition was Bulgaria in Dallas at the 2016 World League (1 July 2016).
• Aaron Russell scored a match-high 14 points against Poland on Saturday.
Iran
• Iran lost 3-2 against Serbia on Saturday, their second defeat in five sets at this year's VNL, after suffering a 3-2 defeat against Brazil last weekend.
• The last world level major competition in which Iran suffered three five-set defeats was at the 2014 World League.
• Iran have won four matches at the World League and can win at least five matches in a world level major competition for the first time since the 2015 World League (6 wins).
• The only time Iran lost more than seven matches in a world level major competition was in the 2014 World League (9 defeats).
• Milad Ebadipour Ghara H. scored a team-high 21 points against Serbia on Saturday. He is now two points shy of Amir Ghafour's team-record 126 at this year's VNL.