Lausanne, Switzerland, May 16, 2018 - Pool hosts and world number one China host Korea Thursday in Ningbo, looking to wrap up the opening week of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League with a perfect record, after wins in straight sets over the Dominican Republic and Belgium. Korea ended a seven-match losing streak on Wednesday, but lag 28-8 in their head-to-head record against China.
Head-to-Head
• China and Korea have met 36 times in world level major competitions. China won 28 matches, Korea eight.
• The women's world level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• China have won 10 of their last 11 major competition matches against Korea. The only exception in this run is their 3-0 defeat at the 2010 World Championships (first round).
China
• China still have a perfect record at the VNL, beating the Dominican Republic and Belgium in straight sets.
• China have won their last seven major world level fixtures, since the 3-1 loss to Serbia in the third-place decider at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• China have not dropped a set in four of their last five major world level matches, including in their last two. The last time China did not lose a set in three successive fixtures at world level was at the 2016 World Grand Prix, when they beat Brazil, Netherlands and Germany consecutively in straight sets.
• China have not lost a major world level match against a fellow AVC side since the 3-0 defeat to Japan in the final six at the 2014 World Grand Prix.
• Yuan Xinyue (15 points) was China's top scorer against Belgium. She also scored 13 points against Dominican Republic, when Li Yingying (17) won top scorers honours for China.
Korea
• On Wednesday, Korea beat the Dominican Republic in a tight five-setter, ending a seven-match losing streak at major world level tournaments.
• The last time Korea won successive major world level matches was in an eight-match winning streak at last year's World Grand Prix. This winning run preceded the seven-match losing streak.
• Korea have won each of their last seven major world level fixtures in which they won the first set.
• Kim Yeon Koung led her team in terms of scoring in both previous VNL matches. She scored 15 points against Belgium and 29 versus the Dominican Republic.
• Kim Su Ji scored seven points from stuffed blocks against the Dominican Republic, at least four more than any other player on the field.