Perugia, Italy, June 11, 2019 – Russia and Korea meet on the fourth week seeking their second win, while Italy are seeking to bounce back in their match against winless Bulgaria in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Russia – Korea (June 11, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Republic of Korea have won only seven of their 51 matches at world level major tournaments against Russia (including Soviet Union).
• Three of those seven victories, however, Republic of Korea claimed in their last seven world level meetings with Russia.
• World level major tournaments are: Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• Most recently these teams met at the 2018 World Championship. Russia won 3-0 in the first round.
• At last year's Volleyball Nations League, Republic of Korea beat Russia 3-0 on 23 May 2018.
Russia
• Russia have lost each of their last seven Volleyball Nations League matches since a 3-1 win against China in their second match this year.
• Russia are on a joint-negative team record of eight defeats at a world level major tournament, as Soviet Union also suffered eight defeats at the 1995 World Grand Prix.
• Russia could break their negative record losing run in world level major tournaments, previously set as Soviet Union at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and the 1977 World Cup combined (7 matches).
• Russia have lost four matches in straight sets at the 2019 VNL. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the only world level major tournaments in which Russia lost that many matches by a 3-0 scoreline were the 2018 VNL (6) and the 2015 World Grand Prix (4).
• Kseniia Parubets scored a team-high 23 points against Poland, at least 10 more than any other Russia player.
Republic of Korea
• Republic of Korea have lost eight of their nine Volleyball Nations League matches this year, with the only exception of a straight set victory against Belgium on 28 May.
• Republic of Korea could lose six successive matches within a world level major competition for only the second time, after a run of 11 defeats at the 2001 World Grand Prix.
• Eunjin Park (1) was the only player with a successful block in the 3-0 defeat against Germany, despite 28 attempts by Republic of Korea.
• Heejin Kim is Republic of Korea's top scorer at the 2019 VNL on 89 points, already five more than she scored at last year's VNL.
Italy – Bulgaria (June 11, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Italy won all previous four meetings with Bulgaria at world level major tournaments: 3-2 at the 1986 World Championship and 3-0 at the 1998, 2002 and 2018 world championships.
• World level major tournaments are: Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup.
• In matches played at the European Championship, Bulgaria have a W6-L3 record against Italy.
• Bulgaria's most recent European Championship victory over Italy came in the 2003 edition, a 3-2 victory in the group stages.
Italy
• Italy have won seven of their nine Volleyball Nations League matches in 2019.
• Italy come off a 3-2 defeat against China. They have not lost successive VNL matches since losing the first four matches of the 2018 campaign in straight sets.
• Italy have won multiple sets in each of their last 20 VNL matches (W17-L3). The defeats in this run came in five sets against Japan (29 May 2018), United States (29 May 2019) and China (6 June 2019).
• Only Thailand's Nootsara Tomkom (156) and Niverka Dharlenis Marte Frica (130) have had more running sets at the 2019 VNL than Italy's Ofelia Malinov (118).
• Only Belgium's Marlies Janssens (19) has more aces than Indre Sorokaite (16) after three weeks of VNL play in 2019.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria have lost all of their nine matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, their debut campaign in the competition.
• Only Argentina (12) have had a longer VNL losing streak from the start of their debut in the competition.
• Bulgaria have won at least one set in six of their nine VNL matches. The only team they claimed two sets against was Belgium in their second match.
• Zhana Todorova averages 3.06 digs per set, most of all players in the 2019 VNL. Her tournament total of 104 digs is at least 15 higher than any other player.
• Mira Todorova averages 0.76 blocks per set in the 2019 VNL, joint-most of all players in the competition together with Turkey's Kubra Caliskan.
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FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
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