Mendoza, Argentina, June 2, 2019 – Winless Portugal will face Bulgaria, while Argentina will be looking for a sweep of their home court matches in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Portugal – Bulgaria (June 2, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Bulgaria have won all of their previous four matches against Portugal in world level major competitions, all at the 2012 World League.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League, Nations League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Only against Italy (6) have Portugal played more world level major competition matches without winning than versus Bulgaria (4).
• Bulgaria have played more matches without losing against only Egypt (8) and Belgium (5) than versus Portugal (4).
Portugal
• Portugal suffered 3-0 defeats against Argentina and Canada in their first two matches of the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
• Portugal lost their first two matches in straight sets at the 2019 VNL. Only Republic of Korea, who lost their first five matches 3-0, have had more at the start of their debut VNL participation.
• Alexandre Ferreira scored nine points versus both Argentina and Canada and leads his team in scoring at the 2019 VNL (18 total points).
• Coach Hugo Silva gave all of his 14 players playing time in their three-set defeat against Canada.
• Miguel Tavares Rodrigues (2.17) is one of five players at the 2019 VNL averaging more than two digs per set after the first two rounds.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria won their 2019 Volleyball Nations League opener 3-1 against Canada and lost their second match in straight sets against Argentina.
• In last year's VNL, Bulgaria also started with a win and a defeat before beating Argentina 3-1 in round three.
• Nikolay Uchikov was Bulgaria's top scorer against Canada (27) and Argentina (13). Uchikov also was Bulgaria's top scorer at the 2018 VNL on 169 points.
• With 40 total points, Nikolay Uchikov is the top scorer after two rounds of matches at the 2019 VNL, leading Iran's Amir Ghafour (39), Italy's Gabriele Nelli (39) and Russia's Egor Kliuka (39).
• Against Argentina, Rozalin Penchev was Bulgaria's only player with at least one point from attacks (8), blocks (1) and serves (1).
Argentina – Canada (June 2, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Argentina and Canada will meet for the 18th time in a world level major tournament. Argentina won 11 times and Canada six.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League, Nations League and Grand Champions Cup.
• Last season, these teams met in the Nations League, with Canada winning 3-1 in the preliminary round (in Argentina).
Argentina
• Argentina have beaten both Portugal and Bulgaria 3-0 at the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. In last year's VNL, Argentina did not record their first win until their sixth match, 3-0 against Italy.
• Argentina now have four successive VNL wins. They had previously won only two of their other 13 matches in the competition.
• Argentina could start a world level major tournament with three wins, a feat they most recently achieved at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, beating France, Tunisia and Greece.
• Four Argentine players reached double figures in scoring against Bulgaria: Bruno Lima (15), Facundo Conte (12), Agustín Loser (12) and Sebastian Solé (10).
• Sebastian Solé (8) has the most stuff blocks after two full rounds of play at the 2019 VNL.
• Santiago Danani is the second-best receiver (48.72 efficiency rate) and the fourth best digger (2.33 average per set) after two rounds of play at the 2019 VNL.
Canada
• After losing their first 2019 Volleyball Nations League match 3-1 against Bulgaria, Canada rebounded with a 3-0 win over Portugal.
• At last year's VNL, Canada also started with a win and a loss, before falling to Poland in their third encounter (3-1).
• Sharone Vernon-Evans was Canada's top scorer against Bulgaria (22) and Portugal (15). With 37 total points, he is fifth after two rounds at the 2019 VNL, three points behind leader Nikolay Uchikov (BUL, 40).
• Only Sebastian Solé (ARG, 1.33) averaged more stuff blocks per set in the first two rounds of the 2019 VNL than Graham Vigrass (1.00).
• Steven Marshall averaged 2.86 digs per set in the first two rounds of the 2019 VNL, second-most of all players, behind only France's Jenia Grebrennikov (2.88).
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