Hong Kong, China, June 5, 2019 – Italy are trying to add another win to their seven triumphs so far, while China are looking for a fifth straight-set win in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Italy – Japan (June 5, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Japan have won one of their last seven matches against Italy in world level major competitions (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup), a five-set victory in last year's FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
• On 29 May 2018, Japan came back twice from behind to beat Italy 3-2 in the Volleyball Nations League. Italy's Paola Ogechi Egonu scored a match-high 32 points in Hong Kong, most for an Italian player in a 2018 VNL match.
• Each of the last five encounters between Italy and Japan at world level needed a fifth set, since a straight-set victory for Italy at the 2014 World Championships.
Italy
• Italy won six of their seven matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, with the only exception a five-set defeat against United States on 29 May.
• Italy lost each of their first four VNL matches (all in 2018), but have been beaten in only two of their 18 matches in the competition since.
• Italy lost just one of their five VNL matches against AVC opposition, a five-set defeat against Japan in Hong Kong on 29 May 2018.
• Indre Sorokaite scored a match-high 24 points in Italy's 3-1 win over Netherlands on Tuesday, including seven from serves.
• Sorokaite (7) became the second player to score at least seven points from serves for Italy in a VNL match after Paola Ogechi Egonu (7) versus Serbia on 30 May 2019.
• Sorokaite has now scored a total of 16 points from serves in this year's VNL. In the 2018 VNL, only Elena Pietrini (19) scored more than 16 aces for Italy.
Japan
• Japan suffered a straight-set defeat against China on Tuesday, ending their three-match winning run in the VNL.
• Japan can lose consecutive Volleyball Nations League matches for the third time after losing their first two matches in 2018 and match two and three in this year's edition.
• The last time Japan lost back-to-back matches in straight sets at a world level major tournament was at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (against Brazil and Russia).
• Sarina Koga scored a team-high 15 points In Japan's 3-0 loss against against China, all from spikes.
• Yuki Ishii (108) is Japan's leading scorer in the 2019 VNL. She scored 157 points in the entire 2018 VNL.
Netherlands – China (June 5, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• China have won at least one set in each of their 31 meetings with Netherlands at major world level competitions (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup). China's record in these matches is W23-L8.
• Netherlands' last victory against China at world level came at last year's FIVB Volleyball Nations League. The Dutch won 3-1 in the preliminary round, but lost by the same score in the Final Round. Lonneke Slöetjes scored a match-high 28 points in the first encounter, while Ting Zhu (36) scored the most points in the second meeting.
• Ting Zhu's 36 points against Netherlands in the Final Round of the 2018 VNL were the second-most points for any player in a 2018 VNL match, behind Malwina Smarzek's 39 points in Poland's 3-2 defeat versus Thailand.
• Their most recent world level meetings came at the 2018 World Championships. China defeated Netherlands 3-1 in the third round and 3-0 in the bronze medal match.
China
• China beat Japan 3-0 on Tuesday to claim their fourth straight-set victory in a row in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
• China could win five consecutive matches in straight sets in a single major world level tournament for the first time since a run of five at the 2015 World Cup.
• Only United States (14, match versus Korea on Tuesday not included) have won more VNL matches by a 3-0 scoreline than China (10).
• Xinyue Yuan scored 14 points in China's 3-0 win over Japan to join Yanhan Liu on a team-high 49 total points in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
• Ting Zhu (18) and Xiangyu Gong (10) also reached double figures in scoring for China in their straight-set victory over Japan.
Netherlands
• Netherlands lost five of their seven matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. The Dutch lost five of their 17 matches in last year's edition.
• Netherlands lost seven of their last nine VNL matches, after they were beaten in only three of their first 15 matches in the competition.
• Nicole Oude Luttikhuis scored 13 points in the 3-1 loss versus Italy on Tuesday, at least seven more than any other teammate. Marrit Jasper and Annick Meijers both won six points.
• Oude Luttikhuis (4) became the first player to score at least four points from serves for Netherlands in a VNL match since Juliet Lohuis (4) in the 3-1 loss versus Turkey in week 1 of this year's VNL.
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