Lausanne, Switzerland, May 29, 2018 - Brazil host Korea Friday in Goiania for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League with the Asian side looking not only for their first win (indeed, their first set) of the season, but also having to buck the trend after 21 straight defeats since they last beat South Americans in the 1992 FIVB World League.
Head-to-Head
• Brazil have won each of their last 21 world level major competition encounters with Korea, since a 3-2 loss in the 1992 World League.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Korea's last win against Brazil in which they needed less than five sets in a world level major competition came in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, when Korea won 3-1 on their way to the fifth place, their highest rank at the Olympic Games.
• The last encounter in a world level major competition came in the 2014 World Championships. Brazil won 3-2, after Korea had won the first set.
Brazil
• Brazil have won twice in straight sets (versus Serbia and Germany), but also lost once in a five setter against Italy in this VNL.
• Brazil have won at least two sets in each of their last 13 matches in world level major competitions (W10-L3).
• Brazil have won the first set in each of their last 15 world level major matches, since a 3-1 defeat against Bulgaria in the 2017 World League.
• Coming into matchround 4, Wallace De Souza is Brazil's top scorer on 41 points, ranking him in joint ninth place on the top scorers list.
• De Souza has a success percentage of 58% on his spikes. Coming into matchround 4, Only Bulgaria's Nikolay Uchikov (59%) and Russia's Dmitriy Muserskiy (60%) have a higher success percentage.
Korea
• Korea have lost all their three matches in straight sets, versus Poland, Canada and Russia in this VNL.
• Korea can now lose their opening four matches of a world level major competition in straight sets for the first time since the 2010 World League.
• The last time Korea won a set in a world level major competition came at the 2017 World League on 18 June 2017, when they beat Slovakia in five sets.
• Seo Jae-Duck is Korea's top scorer on 29 points (26 spikes - 0 blocks - 3 serves). Coming into matchround 4, this is the lowest tally for a top scorer of all teams.
• Kim Kyumin is the only player from Korea to make multiple blocks (2). In total, Korea have made only six blocks.