Lausanne, Switzerland, June 16, 2018 - After stunning reigning world champions Poland with a straight-set win on Friday, Iran take on Serbia on Saturday in Chicago, with the Balkan team looking to end a two-match losing streak (all in straight sets) and get back on track for a ticket to the Final Six of the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Serbia have not lost three consecutive matches in straight sets at world level in almost half a century, since the 1970 FIVB World Championship (as Yugoslavia). The head-to-head between Serbia and Iran is tied at 4-4.
Head-to-Head
• Iran and Serbia (including Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro) have met eight times at world level major competitions. Both teams won four matches.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• None of these eight world level major competition matches between Iran and Serbia finished in straight sets.
• The most recent world level major competition meeting between these teams came during the 2017 World League, when Serbia won 3-1. Iran's last victory over Serbia was a five-setter in the 2016 World League.
• Serbia could now beat Iran in successive world level major competition matches for the first time.
Iran
• Iran beat Poland 3-0 on Friday to claim their fourth win in the VNL.
• Iran last won two matches in a row at world level in the 2017 Grand Champions Cup, against Japan and France.
• Iran could claim back-to-back wins in straight sets at world level for the first time since 3-0 wins versus Cuba and Egypt at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
• Amir Ghafour leads his team in scoring, on 126 points.
Saeid Marouf has a 10.1 average per set as setter.
Serbia
• All four of Serbia's defeats in the VNL came in straight sets, including 3-0 against United States on Friday.
• They could now lose three matches in a row in straight sets at world level major competitions for the second time in team history, after three at the 1970 World Championships (as Yugoslavia).
• Serbia can claim a seventh win at the VNL. They last recorded at least seven wins in a major tournament in the 2016 World League, where they won 10 matches.
• Drazen Luburic has scored 114 points, including 99 spikes.
• As setter, Nikola Jovovic has an average of 8.7 per set.