Cannes, France, June 14, 2019 – The United States got action underway in Cannes on Friday with a victory against Argentina.
USA-Argentina
France-Germany
Pre-match stats:
United States – Argentina (June 14, 2019)
Head-to-head
• United States won 17 of their 21 major world level major encounters with Argentina (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup), including each of the last three.
• Argentina's most recent victory against United States in a major world level competition was a 3-2 win in the second round of the 2014 World Championship.
• United Stated have only once failed to win a single set against Argentina in a major world level match, in a 3-0 defeat at the 1990 World Championship.
• United States defeated Argentina in five sets at last year's VNL, their most recent world level meeting. Benjamin Patch (27) and Taylor Sander (20) both scored at least 20 points that day. Pablo Crer (18) scored the most points for Argentina.
• At the Pan American Games, Argentina won six of their last seven encounters with United States, including a 3-0 win in the 2015 quarter-finals.
United States
• United States lost four of their six Volleyball Nations League matches in 2019, already as many as defeats as they had in last year's preliminary round (W11-L4).
• United States won only three of their last nine VNL fixtures.
• Torey Defalco and Benjamin Patch (both 57) are USA's joint-leading points scorers this VNL campaign.
• Patch was USA's leading points scorer in each of their last three VNL matches: 24 against Italy, 13 versus Russia and 20 against Portugal.
• Patch (55.21%) is in third place on the best attacker list after two weeks of play.
Argentina
• Argentina have lost four consecutive Volleyball Nations League matches, after they began this year's competition with straight sets wins against both Portugal and Bulgaria.
• Argentina could equal their longest VNL losing streak. That was when they lost each of their opening five matches in the competition last year, a run that began with a 3-2 defeat versus United States.
• Argentina lost all four VNL matches that went to a fifth set. They share the VNL record for most five-set defeats with Germany and United States (all four).
• After two weeks of play, Santiago Danani is the best digger (2.68) and best receiver (40.30%) in the competition.
• Facundo Conte (76) is Argentina's leading points scorer this VNL campaign.
• Federico Pereyra scored the most points for Argentina in three of their last four VNL matches.
France – Germany (June 14, 2019)
Head-to-head
• France won six of their 10 major world level meetings with Germany (incl. East and West Germany) (FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup).
• Each of the last four world level encounters between France and Germany were decided in three sets, with France winning three and Germany one of those.
• France defeated Germany in straight sets at last year's VNL, their most recent world level meeting. France's Thibault Rossard (10) was the only player to reach double digits in scoring.
• Germany's most recent world level victory against France came in the third-place decider at the 2014 World Championships (3-0).
France
• France lost 3-2 against Bulgaria in their most recent Volleyball Nations League match, their first defeat this VNL campaign.
• France could lose successive VNL matches for the first time.
• The most recent occasion France lost consecutive world level matches was at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup, a run of three in a row versus United States (3-0), Italy (3-1) and Iran (3-2).
• Jean Patry (78) leads France in terms of scoring. Patry (55.38%) is also the second-best attacker in the competition after two weeks of play.
• Patry finished as his team's top scorer in four of France's six matches this VNL campaign.
• Antoine Brizard (6.25) is in third place on the best setter list, while Jenia Grebennikov (2.54) sits in second place on the best digger list after the first two weeks.
Germany
• Germany lost four of their six matches in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, including both of their last two.
• Germany could lose three consecutive VNL matches for the second time, after they were beaten in each of their opening three matches of the 2018 competition.
• Only Brazil and Serbia (both 8) have played more VNL five-setters than Germany (7, W3-L4).
• Julian Zenger (37.72%) is the second-best receiver in the 2019 VNL after two weeks of play.
• Simon Hirsch (86) is Germany's leading points scorer this VNL campaign. He scored the most points for his team in four of their six matches.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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