Lausanne, Switzerland, June 15, 2018 - France look to extend their winning streak in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League to five when they face Brazil, Saturday in Varna, while the reigning Olympic champions need to bounce back after being stunned by Canada on Friday. This is the 36th time the two sides go head-to-head, with Brazil leading the series 28-7. It is a rematch of the 2017 FIVB World League final, which France won in five sets.
Head-to-Head
• France and Brazil have met 35 times in world level major competitions. Brazil have won 28 matches, France seven.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• France have won three of the last eight matches in world level major competitions against Brazil after winning only two of the 19 matches prior to this streak.
• Brazil have won at least one set in 34 of the 35 previous world level major competition matches against France, with a straight set win for France in the 1990 World League being the only exception.
• Brazil won the last world level major competition meeting 3-0, during the 2017 Grand Champions Cup. The last time they recorded successive straight set wins in world level major competition matches against France was during the 2008 World League (3 straight).
• These teams played the final of the 2017 World League, which France won in five sets.
France
• France are on a four-match winning streak at the VNL, since a 3-2 defeat against China on 3 June.
• France could win five successive major world level matches for the first time since winning their last six of the 2017 World League.
• France can claim six straight-sets victories at a single major world level tournament for the first time since the 2016 World League.
• Jean Patry scored 16 points in France's last match, against Bulgaria. Four of those points were scored from stuff blocks.
Brazil
• On Friday, against Canada, Brazil suffered their first straight-sets defeat at a world level major tournament since their 3-0 loss to Serbia in the 2016 World League final.
• The last time Brazil failed to win a single set in successive world level matches was at the 2000 World League, against Italy and Serbia and Montenegro.
• Brazil currently have a W8-L2 record at the 2018 VNL. Their only other defeat came against Italy on 26 May (3-2).
• Despite losing 3-0, Brazil's Wallace De Souza scored a match-high 19 points against Canada on Friday.
• Wallace has scored 160 points in total this VNL season, at least 63 more than any of his teammates.