Lausanne, Switzerlans, June 1, 2018 - After their dramatic win over Bulgaria on Friday, Serbia are now up against reigning European champions Russia, Saturday in Sofia, looking to score back-to-back wins that would bring them level with their opponents at three and two in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. But the Balkan side trail Russia 13-27 in their head-to-head series at world level - though they have won the last three encounters.
Head-to-Head
• Russia (including as Soviet Union and CIS) and Serbia (including as Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro) have met 40 times in world level major competitions, with Russia winning 27 times versus 13 victories for Serbia.
• World level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Serbia have won three of the last five encounters with Russia, following a five-match losing run against the Russians in 2012-2013.
• Each of the last three world level major encounters between these teams finished in straight sets: two 3-0 victories for Russia at the 2014 World League and a 3-0 win for Serbia at the 2016 World League.
• Russia and Serbia met at five consecutive Olympic Games between 1996 and 2012. In both 1996 and 2000, Serbia (as Yugoslavia) won a medal after defeating Russia: 3-1 in the bronze-medal match in 1996 and 3-0 in the final in 2000.
• Russia have won all three encounters with Serbia at the Olympic Games since that defeat in 2000, including at the 2012 Olympic Games (3-0 in group phase) at which Russia ultimately won the Olympic title.
Russia
• Russia have won three of their four matches in the VNL, with a straight set defeat against Poland as the only exception.• Against Australia (3-1 win) they played more than three sets for the first time this VNL.
• Russia can win four of the first five matches in a major world level competition for the first time since the 2016 Olympic Games.
• They can win three consecutive major world level competition matches for the first time since a streak of four at the 2017 World League.
Serbia
• Serbia prevailed after five sets against Bulgaria on Friday making their balance two wins and two losses in the VNL.
• Both their defeats have gone in straight sets, while their wins were a four-setter and a five-setter.
• The last time Serbia won in straight sets in a major world level competition came on 11 June 2017 in the World League against Belgium.
• Drazen Luburic scored 20 points for Serbia against Bulgaria and became the match shared top scorer along with Bulgaria's Todor Skrimov.