Lausanne, Switzerland, May 29, 2018 - Match of the day opens proceedings across the board for Week 2 of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League as Poland host France in Lodz. Going into this weekend, they are they only two teams amongst the 16 participating on full points, tied at the top of the standings with only a set separating them. And even historically there's not much between the two sides, with Poland just barely leading France 10-9 in their head-to-head series at world competitions.
Head-to-Head
• This match features the only two teams with a perfect nine points after three matches in the VNL.
• Poland and France will meet for the 20th time in a world level major competition. Poland have a slight edge over France, with 10 wins to nine.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League, Grand Champions Cup.
• Poland won the first six world level major competition matches against France. Since then, the French won nine of 13, including three of the last four.
• The last major competition meeting ended in Poland's favour, 3-2 in the 2016 World League. Poland can now beat France back-to-back for the first time since those first six confrontations, which were spread between 1949 and 2002.
• Six of the last eight world level major competition matches between Poland and France went into a fifth set, with both teams winning three of those six.
Poland
• Poland took a 100% winning record from the opening VNL weekend by beating Korea 3-0, Russia 3-0 and Canada 3-1.
• Poland can win four successive matches at world level major competitions for the first time since the 2015 World Cup, when they won the first 10 in succession before losing to Italy.
• Poland can win three matches in straight sets at a single world level major competition for the first time since the 2016 Olympic Games.
• Michal Kubiak is Poland's top scorer this VNL thus far with 34 points.
France
• France took a 100% winning record from the opening Nations League weekend by beating Iran 3-1, Japan 3-1 and Australia 3-0.
• At last year's World League, France started with a run of six successive victories, all with at least two sets difference.
• Stephen Boyer (34) and Kevin Tillie (33) are France's most prolific scorers in the VNL thus far.
• France could win their 250th world level major competition match in history. They have 249 wins and 228 defeats thus far.