Lausanne, Switzerland, June 17, 2018 - Having lost their last two matches in straight sets, reigning Olympic champions Brazil seek a return to their winning ways when they come against pool hosts Bulgaria, Sunday in Varna, to avoid any complications in their race for the Final Six of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Brazil have not lost three in a row since the 2012 FIVB World League and not coneceded three consecutive straight-set defeats in 44 years, since the 1974 FIVB World Championship. Bulgaria, on the other hand, who beat Canada 3-0 on Saturday, could claim back-to-back wins for the first time in this VNL.
Head-to-Head
• Bulgaria and Brazil have met 45 times before at world level major competitions, with 31 wins for Brazil and 14 for Bulgaria.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Brazil won six of their last seven world level major competition matches against Bulgaria.
• Bulgaria's last win against Brazil came on 11 June 2017 during the 2017 World League (3-1). Five days later, Brazil took revenge (3-0) in the last meeting between these teams to date.
• These teams will meet each other in Bulgaria for the fourth time. Brazil won two, Bulgaria one of the previous three matches, all played in Varna.
• The last five-setter between these teams in world level major competitions came during the 2010 World League, when Brazil won 3-2.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria won 3-0 against Canada on Saturday.
• That victory ended a run of three successive defeats for Bulgaria, since their 3-0 win over Japan on 8 June.
• Bulgaria can claim back-to-back victories at the VNL for the first time.
• The last time Bulgaria claimed successive straight sets victories at a world level major tournament was at the 2013 World league, when they beat France and Argentina 3-0.
• Boyan Yordanov (21), Viktor Yosifov (14) and Valentin Bratoev (12) all managed double figures in scoring against Canada on Saturday.
Brazil
• Brazil have lost their last two VNL matches, both in straight sets. They had won eight of their first nine VNL fixtures.
• Brazil could lose three successive matches at major world level for the first time since the 2012 World League.
• The only time Brazil failed to win a single set in three successive major world level fixtures was at the 1974 World Championships.
• Brazil could record three straight sets defeats at a single major world level tournament for the first time since the 1997 World League (also 3).
• Wallace De Souza was Brazil's leading scorer against France, on 10 points.