Lausanne, Switzerland, May 29, 2018 - Undefeated Italy face Canada, Friday in San Juan, Argentina,looking to extend their winning streak in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball National League to four and their head-to-head record over the North Americans to 16-2.
Head-to-Head
• Of 17 world level major encounters between these teams, Italy won 15, Canada two.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Italy won the first 15 world level major encounters (1974-2015), with seven of those in straight sets.
• Still, Canada have decided the last two matches in their favour, 3-1 at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 3-1 in the 2017 World League.
• Only one of the 17 major tournament matches between these teams went to a fifth set, a 3-2 Italy win at the 1982 World Championship.
Canada
• Canada have started their VNL campaign with a win against Korea and defeats against Russia and Poland.
• In last season's World League, they had only one run of consecutive defeats. These back-to-back losses occurred in the last match of the first weekend and the first match of the second weekend. Here in the VNL, they also lost the last match of the first weekend.
• Canada have started both of their last two major competitions (Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 2017 World League) with two wins and two defeats. A win for them here would equal that balance.
• Canada's best scorer after one weekend of Nations League play is Bradley Robert Gunter with 33 points.
Italy
• Italy started their campaign with three victories: 3-1 against Germany, 3-2 against Brazil and 3-0 against Serbia.
• Italy are now unbeaten in seven successive matches at world level major competition (2017 Grand Champions Cup, 2018 Nations League), since their 3-2 defeat to Iran at last year's Grand Champions Cup.
• Italy can remain unbeaten in eight consecutive world level major matches for the first time since winning nine in a row at the 2002 World League.
• Italy last started a world level major tournament with four successive victories in 2016, when they won their first four matches at the Olympic Games.
• Ivan Zaytsev is the Nations League's most prolific scorer after the first VNL weekend. Zaytsev has 69 total points, 13 more than the next in line (China's Jiang Chuan 56).