Boryeong, Korea, June 18, 2019 – Poland defeated Japan in the first match in Boryeong on Tuesday to improve their chances of progressing to the women's 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Finals in Nanjing, China from July 3-7. The result put Poland on eight wins in this year's VNL, one more than Japan.
Japan – Poland (June 18, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Poland have won seven of their previous 21 matches against Japan in world level major competitions, including a five-set victory in last year's FIVB Volleyball Nations League preliminary round.
• Japan's last win over Poland at one of the world level major tournaments was a straight-set victory at the 2013 World Grand Prix.
• Seven of Japan's 14 victories over Poland in world level major competitions came in straight sets (50%).
Japan
• Japan have won seven and lost five matches after four weeks of FIVB Volleyball Nations League play in 2019.
• With seven wins, Japan have already matched their total number of victories in the whole of last year's VNL (W7-L8).
• Japan are one of the three teams that have yet to play a five setter in the 2019 VNL alongside Republic of Korea and Serbia.
• In 2018, only Turkey (7) played more five setters in the VNL than Japan (5).
• Yuki Ishii (152) is Japan's top scorer in the 2019 VNL. In 2018, Ishii (157) missed out on one point to become Japan's top scorer in the competition (Ai Kurogo 158).
• Mako Kobata (3.57) averages the most digs per set in the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Poland
• Poland have won seven and lost five matches in their first four weeks of the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
• Poland need one more win to equal their total number of victories in the 2018 edition of the VNL (W8-L7).
• Poland lost all their three matches in week four of the 2019 VNL. They can suffer four defeats in a row for the second time in the competition after a run of four in May 2018.
• Malwina Smarzek leads all players in this year's VNL with 298 total points scored. Her closest competitors are Dominican Republic's Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez on 239 and Brazil's Gabriela Braga Guimaraes on 198.
• In last year's preliminary round, Smarzek (361) was the only player to win more than 250 points in the VNL.
• Only Serbia's Maja Aleksic (37) and Brazil's Ana Beatriz Correa (37) scored more points from stuff blocks than Agnieszka Kakolewska (30) this VNL season.
• In last year's VNL, Kakolewska won a competition-high 52 points from blocks in the preliminary round.
Korea – Dominican Republic (June 18, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Republic of Korea have won seven of their 10 major world level meetings with Dominican Republic.
• Republic of Korea defeated Dominican Republic in their last two world level encounters, 3-1 at the 2015 World Cup and 3-2 at last year's FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
• Dominican Republic's last win over Republic of Korea at world level came at the 2011 World Cup (3-2).
• In Republic of Korea's five-set win at last year's VNL, Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez (31) and Yeon Koung Kim (28) both won 20+ points.
Republic of Korea
• Republic of Korea have lost 11 of their 12 Volleyball Nations League matches this year, including each of their last eight since a 3-0 win over Belgium on 28 May.
• Republic of Korea could lose nine successive major world level matches for the first second time after a run of 11 defeats at the 2001 World Grand Prix.
• Republic of Korea can become the fourth nation to lose nine consecutive VNL games, after Argentina (12 in a row), Bulgaria (11) and Thailand (9).
• Republic of Korea claimed a set in their last three VNL defeats. They could win a set in four successive VNL matches for the second time after 16 to 23 May 2018.
• Heejin Kim (128) and Sohwi Kang (106) have won 100+ points for Republic of Korea this VNL campaign. Last year, three players reached 100+ points for the team in the preliminary round: Yeon Koung Kim (175), Jaeyeong Lee (153) and Jeongah Park (115).
Dominican Republic
• Dominican Republic have won six of their 12 Volleyball Nations League matches this year, already twice the amount of their 2018 campaign (W3-L12).
• Dominican Republic could win seven matches at a single world level competition for the third time, after the 2014 World Championship (7) and the 2016 World Grand Prix (7).
• Three of Dominican Republic's six VNL wins this year came in five sets. They are the only nation with three five-set wins in the first four weeks of this VNL campaign.
• Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez (239) is Dominican Republic's leading scorer this VNL campaign. In the first four weeks of play this year, only Poland's Malwina Smarzek (298) won more points.
• Last year, Brayelin Elizabeth Martinez reached 250 points in the preliminary round.
• Lisvel Elisa Eve Mejia has won 28 points from stuff blocks at the 2019 VNL, already nine more than any Dominican Republic player managed in the preliminary round in 2018.
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