Lausanne, Switzerland, June 2, 2018 - After losing two matches in Week 3 to drop below the table leaders at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Turkey look at a return to victories when they meet Japan, Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima. Japan lead the head-to-head 6-4, but the four wins of Turkey have come in their last six encounters, including the most recent at the 2016 FIVB World Grand Prix, and Japan have not beaten Turkey in four years.
Head-to-Head
• Japan have won six of their previous 10 major world level encounters against Turkey.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• Turkey's four wins against Japan came in their last six meetings, including in their most recent one: 3-2 at the 2016 World Grand Prix.
• Japan's last victory versus Turkey came in the Final Six at the 2014 World Grand Prix (3-0). They went on to finish second behind Brazil in the tournament.
• Japan recorded only one of their six victories against Turkey on foreign soil, a 3-1 win in Ankara at the 2013 World Grand Prix. Turkey earned three of their four wins versus Japan on foreign soil.
Japan
• Japan are currently 10th in the VNL with four wins and 11 points. They are two victories and eight points adrift of the team in fifth place: Turkey.
• On 31 May, Japan recorded their fourth VNL victory, 3-0 versus Argentina. They could win successive major world level fixtures in a single tournament for the first time since winning their last two at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• The last time Japan kept their opponents from winning a set in consecutive matches at major world level was at the 2015 World Cup (v Peru, Republic of Korea).
• Japan have won seven of their last eight five-setters at major world level, with a defeat against the United States at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup as the only exception in this run.
• Yuki Ishii (94) is Japan's leading VNL scorer.
Turkey
• Turkey are fifth in the VNL with six wins and 19 points.
• After winning six of their first seven matches at the VNL, Turkey have lost their last two, both in five sets.
• Turkey have only once lost three five-setters at a single major world level tournament, at the 2014 World Grand Prix.
• Turkey could win seven fixtures at a major world level tournament for the first time since winning eight at the 2014 World Grand Prix.
• Meryem Boz (125) and Eda Erdem Dundar (114) have both scored more than 100 VNL points for Turkey.
• Erdem has scored 27 points from stuff blocks, only trailing Poland's Agnieszka Kakolewska (31) and Brazil's Ana Beatriz 'Bia' Correa (28) in the VNL.
• Erdem has scored 15 VNL points from serves, a joint-competition high with Poland's Marlena Plesnierowicz.