Lausanne, Switzerland, May 26, 2018 - The Netherlands host Poland in Apeldoorn Tuesday as Week 4 begins in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, with the Dutch, who have not lost to Poland in eight years, looking at improving their 6-1 head-to-head record at world competitions.
Head-to-Head
• The Netherlands have won six of their last seven matches against Poland at major world level tournaments, including the last three.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• These six wins by The Netherlands all came in straight sets.
• The last time Poland took a set from The Netherlands was in their most recent win, 3-2 at the 2010 World Championships.
• Since The Netherlands' last win at world level at the 2015 World Grand Prix, the Dutch also beat Poland twice in their most recent encounters, both 3-1 wins at the European Championships in The Netherlands in 2015. The Netherlands went on to finish runners-up.
The Netherlands
• The Netherlands have won five of their six Nations League matches, with the only exception the straight-sets defeat against VNL leaders United States on 23 May.
• The Netherlands are currently in fifth place in the overall standings, which is the final qualification spot for the final round (if China do not reach top-five).
• The Netherlands have won four of their last five matches at world level major competitions played in front of a home crowd, with the exception of the 3-2 defeat against Japan at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• The Netherlands have lost the opening set in three of their six VNL matches. In the three Nations League fixtures in which they won the opening set, they went on to win the match in straight sets.
• Anne Buijs is top scorer of The Netherlands as she has scored 80 points.
• Maret Balkestein-Grothues has the highest average in digs, 2.76 on average per set. Balkestein-Grothues and Brazil's Suelen Pinto have recorded most digs, 58 each.
Poland
• Poland have won two of their six VNL matches, 3-2 victories over Italy (16 May) and China (22 May).
• Poland have lost their last two VNL matches. The last time Poland lost three successive matches at world level major tournaments was at the 2014 World Grand Prix: five defeats in a row.
• Poland have scored most points (557) and conceded most points (571) of all teams in the VNL.
• Despite Poland's four defeats, Malwina Smarzek is the leading points scorer in the 2018 VNL on 155 points, at least 26 more than any other player.
• Smarzek has scored 28% of all points of Poland in the VNL. Agnieszka Kakolewska is the next most prolific points scorer for Poland on 78 (14%).