Bangkok, Thailand, June 3, 2019 – Turkey meet the Dominican Republic for the second time, while Thailand play Bulgaria for the first time in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Dominican Republic – Turkey (June 4, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Turkey beat Dominican Republic 3-1 in Ankara on 23 May 2018 in the only previous FIVB Volleyball Nations League meeting between these teams. Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez (26) was the leading scorer in that match.
• Turkey won six of their previous seven encounters with Dominican Republic in world level major competitions (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup). The only exception was a five-set defeat at the 2014 World Grand Prix.
• Of the seven matches in world level major competitions between Turkey and Dominican Republic, three were decided in a fifth set.
Dominican Republic
• Dominican Republic won three of their six matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. They won three of their 15 matches in the 2018 VNL.
• None of the last eight VNL matches involving Dominican Republic have been decided in straight sets (including all six in the 2019 competition).
• Dominican Republic won at least one set in each of their last eight VNL matches, after being beaten in straight sets in seven of their first 13 VNL matches.
• Dominican Republic lost two of their three VNL matches in Bangkok in last year's competition. They were beaten by United States (3-0) and Germany (3-1) after a straight-sets win against the hosts.
• Only Poland's Malwina Smarzek (172) won more points than Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez (123) in the opening two weeks of the 2019 VNL.
Turkey
• Turkey won five of their six matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, with the only exception a straight-sets defeat against Japan in Ankara on 28 May.
• Turkey also won five of their opening six matches in the 2018 VNL. They went on to lose two of their three matches in week three.
• Turkey dropped only one set in their five VNL wins this year (3-1 versus Netherlands on 22 May).
• Turkey won all three previous VNL matches in Thailand, victories against Japan, Thailand and Korea in Nakhon Ratchasima in June 2018.
• Cansu Özbay leads the Best Setter standings on an average of 4.05 per set after the opening two weeks of the 2019 VNL.
• Zehra Gunes averages 0.84 blocks per set, second-highest of all players in this year's VNL behind Poland's Agnieszka Kakolweska (0.96).
Thailand – Bulgaria (June 4, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Thailand and tournament debutants Bulgaria will meet for the first time at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
• The only previous clash in world level major competition (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup) between these teams came on 10 October 2018, when Bulgaria saved a match point and beat Thailand in five sets in the second round of the 2018 World Championship. Bulgaria's Nasya Dimitrova scored a match-high 28 points.
Thailand
• Thailand won two of their six matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. They won only two of their 15 matches in the 2018 VNL.
• All four of Thailand's defeats in the 2019 VNL have been in straight sets.
• Thailand lost all six VNL matches on home court (three in Bangkok and three in Nakhon Ratchasima).
• Only Turkey's Cansu Ozbay (4.05 avg) and Korea's Dayeong Lee (3.9) are ahead of Nootsara Tomkom (3.84) in the Best Setter standings after week two of the 2019 VNL.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria have lost all six matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, their debut campaign in the competition.
• Only Argentina (12) have had a longer VNL losing streak than six matches from their debut in the competition.
• Bulgaria have equalled their longest losing streak in a single world level major competition. They also lost six matches in a row at the 1981 World Cup.
• Bulgaria won the opening set in three of their six VNL matches.
• Zhana Todorova (2.83 avg) leads the Best Digger standings after week two of the 2019 VNL.
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