Urmia, Iran, June 15, 2019 – Iran defeated world champions Poland in Urmia in the 2019 men's FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Saturday.
Pre-match stats:
Russia – Canada (June 15, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Russia have won seven of their nine encounters with Canada at major world level (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup).
• Canada's two wins over Russia came at the 2013 (3-2) and 2017 World League (3-0).
• Seven of the nine world level encounters between Russia and Canada were decided in three sets, including each of the last five. The other two encounters finished 3-2.
• Russia defeated Canada 3-0 at last year's VNL, their most recent major world level meeting. Egor Kliuka scored a match-high 16 points.
Russia
• Russia have won six consecutive Volleyball Nations League matches, after they began the 2019 tournament with a 3-1 defeat against France.
• Russia could equal their VNL record of winning seven matches in a row, set in last year's preliminary round.
• Russia lost only two of their last 19 VNL matches, with both of those defeats against France.
• Egor Kliuka has scored 105 points this VNL season, becoming the first Russian to break the 100 points mark in 2019.
• Kliuka's 0.65 ace per set average is by far the highest of all players in this season's VNL.
• Kliuka celebrates his 24th birthday on Saturday.
• Victor Poletaev is now Russia's leading points scorer in each of their last three VNL matches. He amassed 19 points against United States, 17 versus Italy and 18 against Poland.
Canada
• Canada have won four of their seven matches in this year's Volleyball Nations League, but now have lost for the first time in succession this VNL season.
• Canada could lose back-to-back matches in straight sets at major world level tournaments for the first time since the 2015 World Cup (vs Italy and United States).
• Sharone Vernon-Evans has scored 110 points, 40 more than the next highest Canadian on the 2019 VNL scorers list (Stephen Timothy Maar, 40).
• Maar scored 13 points against Iran on Friday. It was the first time be was Canada's leading scorer this VNL season.
Iran – Poland (June 15, 2019)
Head-to-head
• Poland have a W12-L6 record against Iran at major world level tournaments (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup).
• Iran have only lost more world level matches against Italy (13) than against Poland (12).
• Poland and Iran met twice at world level last year. Iran won in straight sets at the VNL, while Poland won 3-0 at the World Championship.
• Iran's Amir Ghafour scored a match-high 17 points in his team's defeat at the 2018 World Championship. Michal Kubiak (12) won the most points for the winning team.
Iran
• Iran have won nine of their last 10 Volleyball Nations League matches, with the only exception in that run a 3-2 defeat against Brazil on 7 June 2019.
• Iran have a 6-1 record in the VNL this year. They are one victory shy of their total wins from last season (7 wins, 8 defeats).
• Iran have won their last five matches at home at major world level tournaments, after they lost 3-1 against Serbia in the 2017 World League.
• Their only longer winning run in home matches at major world level tournaments was a seven-match winning streak between 2014 and 2015 (all World League).
• Iran could equal their record of winning three successive matches in straight sets at major world level tournaments, set in the 2015 World League.
• Amir Ghafour is the only player from Iran in triple digits, scoring 107 points in the 2019 VNL.
Poland
• Poland have a 4-3 record in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. They finished with a 10-5 record in last year's League Round.
• In 2018, Poland had a 6-1 record after seven matches and lost their second match in the 10th matchround.
• After Poland lost 3-0 against United States in the VNL Final Round last year, they have won at least one set in all their 19 matches at major world level tournaments.
• Dawid Konarski (60) surpassed Mateusz Bieniek (55) as Poland leading scorer this VNL tournament.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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