Lille, France, July 7, 2018 - France host reigning European champions Russia here on Sunday in a historic final of the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Nations League. France have won the last four matches against Russia at world level ad Russia are in their first final of a world competition since they won the 2013 FIVB World League. This is a rematch of the pool play encounter between the two sides in Modena, when France won in straght sets - though Russia, already qualified to the Final Six, fielded subs.
Head-to-Head
• France beat Russia 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-18) earlier this VNL on 24 June.
• France's Earvin Ngapeth scored a match-high 14 points in that match. Romanas Shkulyavichus was Russia's top scorer on 11 points.
• France are on a four-match winning streak against Russia at world level matches.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• France had won five world level matches in total against Russia (including the Soviet Union and CIS) before this winning run of four.
• From 1949 to 1990, the Soviet Union had won the first eight world level encounters with France. Russia lost the next match 3-1 in the 2000 World League.
France
• France reached the final of the 2018 VNL by defeating the United States 3-2 in the semifinals. They won the final set 15-13 after France had given away a 2-0 lead in sets.
• France finished on the podium of the last three World League competitions held: first in 2015, third in 2016 and first in 2017.
• France have won two of their three finals in the World League, with the only exception the 3-2 defeat against Brazil in 2006.
• France will finish on the podium at a world level major tournament other than the World League for the second time, after the 2002 World Championships when they claimed bronze.
• Four of France's last six victories in the VNL came in five-setters.
• The only world level major tournament in which France won more matches played over five sets was the 2006 World League (five).
• Only at the 2015 World League (17) have France won more matches at a single world level major tournament than the 2018 Nations League (15).
• Stephen Boyer was France's top scorer in the semifinal win over USA on 31 points.
Russia
• Russia (4, including the Soviet Union and CIS) are one of four countries to have won at least four of the five previous world level major competitions in men's volleyball, alongside Brazil (all five), Italy (four) and USA (four).
• Russia claimed their last silverware at one of the major world level tournaments when they finished second in the Grand Champions Cup in 2013.
• Russia have reached their first final in a major world level tournament since the 2013 World League, where they won against Brazil in straight sets.
• Russia beat Brazil in the semifinals of this VNL 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-14).
• Maxim Mikhaylov (12), Dmitry Volkov (11), Dmitriy Muserskiy (10) and Egor Kliuka (10) all scored 10+ points in that victory over Brazil on Saturday.
• Russia can win 15 matches in a single world level major tournament for the first time since winning 16 at the 2011 World League.