Ankara, Turkey, May 29, 2019 – Week 2’s second day of competition in Ankara features the matchups of Japan and Russia, and Germany and Turkey, who are meeting at world level competitions for the eighth time and fourth time, respectively.
Japan – Russia (May 29, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Russia won six of their last seven matches against Japan in world level major competitions (Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup)
• Japan's only victory over Russia in that run was a 3-2 win in Hong Kong at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• They also met in the inaugural Volleyball Nations League last year, with Russia emerging victorious in five sets in Walbrzych, Poland.
Japan
• Japan beat Bulgaria and Turkey and lost to United States and Belgium in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League thus far.
• Japan have won at least one set in each of their last 11 VNL matches, after failing to collect one in four of their first eight matches in the competition.
• Japan could win three of their first five matches at the 2019 VNL. In 2018, they did not record their third win until their seventh encounter.
• Ai Kurogo (20) and Yuki Ishii (14) led Japan in scoring in their 3-0 win over Turkey on Tuesday. Ishii (78) is the most productive scorer among Japanese players in the competition thus far.
Russia
• Russia have won one and lost three matches thus far in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
• Russia have lost back-to-back VNL matches for only the second time, after straight defeats against United States, China and Brazil in June 2018. They could equal their longest VNL losing streak here.
• Russia could lose three straight VNL matches in straight sets for the first time. In June 2018, they successively 3-0 lost to United States and China.
• Margarita Kurilo is Russia's most prolific scorer in the 2019 VNL, scoring 63 total points.
Germany – Turkey (May 29, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Turkey have won each of their last three encounters with Germany in world level major competitions (Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup).
• Germany last beat Turkey in a world level match on 15 August 2014 in the 2014 World Grand Prix: 3-1.
• Their last major encounter took place in the Volleyball Nations League last year. Visiting Turkey won 3-1 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Germany
• Germany beat Russia in straight sets in round four. They had lost their first three matches at the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
• By beating Russia on Tuesday, Germany ended a six-match VNL losing streak, their joint-longest run of defeats in the competition.
• Germany could win back-to-back VNL matches for the second time, after three wins in a row in May-June 2018.
• In the match between Germany and Russia, Jana Franziska Poll was the only player with multiple points from spikes (7), blocks (3) and serves (2).
Turkey
• Last year's finalists Turkey started the 2019 Volleyball Nations League with victories over Republic of Korea (3-0), Netherlands (3-1) and Serbia (3-0), before losing in straight sets to Japan on Tuesday.
• Their straight sets defeat against Japan was Turkey's first ever VNL defeat by a 3-0 scoreline.
• Turkey could lose back-to-back VNL matches for only the second time, after successive 3-2 defeats against Russia and Serbia in May 2018.
• Turkey also started their 2018 VNL campaign with three victories and a defeat, in that order. They won their fifth match 3-1 against Dominican Republic.
• Zehra Günes scored 17 of Turkey's 59 total points against Japan. She was the only Turkish player to reach double figures in scoring.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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