Lausanne, Switzerland, May 23, 2018 - USA meet Belgium for the third time in history Thursday in Toyota, with the Americans looking to extend their record against the Europeans, which currently stands at 2-0. After five rounds of the play in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League reigning world champions USA are 4-1, with Belgium at 2-3.
Head-to-Head
• Belgium have lost both their matches against United States at world level major tournaments.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the VNL, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• United States won 3-0 at the 2015 World Grand Prix and 3-1 at the World Grand Prix in 2017.
• Belgium are the only European opponent USA have played at least two world level matches against and maintained a perfect record.
Belgium
• Belgium have won two of their five VNL matches, beating Republic of Korea and Dominican Republic and losing against China, Netherlands and Japan.
• Belgium could win more than two matches at a world level major tournament for the first time since the 2014 World Championships (4).
• Belgium have lost each of the last 31 world level major tournament matches in which they have lost the opening set, since a five-set victory against Netherlands at the 2014 World Grand Prix after they dropped the first set 25-20.
• Belgium have two players with at least 80 VNL points - Britt Herbots (87) and Kaja Grobelna (80).
United States
• United States have won four of their five VNL matches, only suffering defeat against Turkey (3-2).
• United States have won three consecutive VNL matches in straight sets. They could win four world level major tournament fixtures in a row in straight sets for the first time since the 2016 World Grand Prix.
• In USA's last six matches at world level major tournaments, they won the first set in their four victories and lost the opening set in their two defeats. The last time the outcome of the opening set was not the same as the final result, was in the 3-2 win against Japan at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup. USA lost the first set 25-22 in that match.
• Kimberly Hill (60), Michelle Bartsch-Hackley (57) and Jordan Larson (54) have all scored more than 50 VNL points for United States.