Lausanne, Switzerland, June 19, 2018 - China host the Netherlands on 27 June to open their campaign at the 2018 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League Final Six as home nation in Nanjing. The Netherlands beat China in four sets in pool play in this VNL, but the reigning Olympic champions lead the overall series 20-8.
Head-to-Head
• China and the Netherlands have met 28 times at major world level tournaments, with the Chinese leading the head-to-head 20-8.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• Earlier in the VNL, the Netherlands and China met on 13 June. The Netherlands won 3-1, with Lonneke Sloetjes scoring a match-high 28 points.
• China could lose multiple matches against the Netherlands at a single world level major tournament for the second time, after two defeats at the 2007 World Grand Prix.
• The Netherlands' 3-1 win over China on 13 June was their first victory against China that did not require five sets.
China
• China are the reigning Olympic champions. On 20 August 2016, they came from behind to beat Serbia 3-1 in the gold medal match in Rio de Janeiro.
• China are one of only three nations to have won all world level major competitions (Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup), alongside Cuba and Russia (including the Soviet Union and the CIS).
• China lost their last two VNL matches, 3-1 against the Netherlands and Turkey. They could lose three successive world level major competition matches for the first time since the 2016 World Grand Prix (twice against USA, once against Netherlands).
• China have lost eight matches this VNL campaign, already most for them at a specific world level major tournament.
• Li Yingying scored a team-high 19 points in China's Nations League match against the Netherlands, winning five of her eight blocks.
• Liu Xiaotong (120 points) was China's top scorer in the preliminary round, one point ahead of Li Yingying (119).
Netherlands
• Coming into the final round, the Netherlands have won one world level major competition, the 2007 World Grand Prix.
• Their only other podium finish at a world level major competition came at the 2016 World Grand Prix, when the Netherlands came from two sets behind to beat Russia 3-2 in the bronze medal match.
• The Netherlands have already set a new team record of winning 12 matches at a single world level major competition. Their previous record was 11 wins at the 2007 World Grand Prix.
• The Netherlands won their last four matches in the preliminary round and could now win five successive world level major competition matches for the first time since winning nine matches spanning the 2014 World Championships and the 2015 World Grand Prix.
• Lonneke Sloetjes (202 points) was the Netherlands' top scorer in the preliminary round, followed by Yvon Belien (124 points).
• Nika Daalderop scored a match-high 20 points in the Netherlands' last match in the preliminary round, the 3-1 win against Germany. She had scored only six points at the VNL prior to that match.