Lausanne, Switzerland, May 18, 2018 - China host Bulgaria in Ningbo Friday on the opening day of the inagural 2018 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League, but trail the European side in their head-to-head record 12-1 and have not beaten Bulgaria since the 1962 FIVB World Championship in Moscow.
Head-to-Head
• Bulgaria have won 12 of their 13 encounters with China in world level major competitions, while China won only once.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• China's sole victory against Bulgaria in a world level major competition came at the 1962 World Championship, when China won in five sets.
• China won only two sets in their previous nine world level major encounters with Bulgaria. China lost seven matches in straight sets in this run.
• The last China won multiple sets in a major world level encounter with Bulgaria was at the 1978 World Championships, when Bulgaria won 3-2.
• Their last world level major encounter came at the 2014 World Championship, when Bulgaria won 25-23, 25-23, 25-19.
• The last time China finished above Bulgaria at a world level major competition in which both countries participated was at the 1996 World League, when China finished sixth while Bulgaria finished eighth.
China
• This is China's 42nd participation at a world level major competition (excluding the 2003 World League, when they were replaced by current opponents Bulgaria due to the SARS epidemic).
• China's best result at a world level major competition is a fourth place at the 1997 Grand Champions Cup.
• China have finished outside the top-10 in their last nine participations at a world level major competition, since their joint-fifth place at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
• China are ranked in 20th place in the FIVB World Ranking. Since the start of the new FIVB ranking-system in 2006, China were only ranked lower between December 2007 and August 2008 (21st).
• China finished on the podium in 14 of their 19 participations at the Asian Championship, winning the title in 1979, 1997 and 1999.
• China finished sixth at the 2017 Asian Championship, their lowest ever rank in the tournament.
Bulgaria
• This is Bulgaria's 50th participation at a world level major competition. Their best results were second places at the 1970 World Championships and the 1980 Olympic Games.
• Bulgaria's last podium finish at a world level major competition came in 2007, when they finished in third place at the World Cup.
• In 2012, Bulgaria just missed out on the medals at the 2012 Olympic Games as they lost the bronze-medal match against Italy (3-1).
• Bulgaria's most recent podium finish at a European Championship came in 2009, when they finished in third place.
• Bulgaria are ranked in 14th place in the FIVB World Ranking. They were ranked in the top-10 between December 2006 and July 2016.