Lausanne, Switzerland, June 13, 2018 - Italy need a full-points win Wednesday at home in Eboli against Belgium to keep their hopes alive for a ticket to the Final Six of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League - though this depends on what Turkey and The Netherlands have done earlier in the day in Stuttgart. Italy have not dropped a single set to Belgium in five previous encounters at world level (though Belgium did win the last time the two met at the 2013 European Championship).
Head-to-Head
• Italy have won all five previous meetings with Belgium at major world level tournaments without dropping a single set.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• These teams last met at major world level at the 2016 World Grand Prix, where Italy won 3-0.
• At the European Championships, Belgium won their last encounter with Italy: 3-1 in the 2013 group stage.
Italy
• Italy have won eight of their last nine Nations League matches, after starting the competition with four consecutive defeats.
• Italy have now won six Nations League matches in a row. They could win seven consecutive in a single major world level tournament for the first time since nine straight in the 2011 World Cup.
• Five of Italy's eight wins in the 2018 Nations League came in straight sets. Italy could record six straight-set victories at a single major world level tournament for the first time since the 2014 World Championship (also 6).
• Italy could book three consecutive straight-set wins in major world level tournament matches for the first time since the first three matches of the 2014 World Championship.
• Elena Pietrini (14) and Lucia Bosetti (13) both scored 10+ points in Italy's 3-0 win over Thailand on Tuesday.
Belgium
• Belgium have won three of their 13 Nations League matches: 3-0 v Korea Republic, 3-2 v Dominican Republic and 3-0 v Argentina.
• Belgium booked two of their three wins during the first week of play. Since then, they suffered nine defeats in 10 matches.
• Belgium have won at least one set in each of their last five world level major competition matches. This is their second-longest such streak, only behind their eight-match run in 1978-2014.
• In the 3-1 defeat against Brazil on Tuesday, Britt Herbots was outright top scorer with 21 points. Herbots (182) has overtaken Kaja Grobelna (162) as Belgium's tournament top scorer.