Lodz, Poland, June 23, 2016 - Russia and France last met in the FIVB Volleyball World League ten years ago, in 2006. Before their 2016 Group 1 clash in Poland on Friday, Russia have a 5-4 positive win-loss World League record against France, but the French now have an opportunity to balance it out.
Head-to-Head
• Russia and France will meet for the 10th time at the World League. Russia won five times, France four.
• They most recently met in the World League on 24 August 2006, when Russia beat France in five sets.
• Despite this being their 10th meeting Russia and France have only been paired against each other in two different World League seasons so far: four matches in 2000, five matches in 2006.
• Earlier this year these teams squared off in the final of the Olympic Qualification Tournament on 10 January. Russia won 3-1.
• Earlier, France had beaten Russia 3-1 in the group stages of the Olympic Qualification Tournament (6 January).
Russia
• Russia bounced back from their 3-0 loss against Serbia in their 2016 World League opener by beating Poland (3-0) and Bulgaria (3-1).
• They can now win three matches in a row for the first time since four successive wins in 2014.
• Only one of Russia's last 13 World League matches ended in five sets, as they lost 3-2 to Poland on 20 June 2015.
• Four Russian players scored 10 or more points in their last match against Bulgaria: Kostyantyn Bakun (20), Dmitriy Muserskiy (14), Alexander Markin (10) and Egor Kliuka (10).
France
• France lost their last match of the opening weekend 3-2 to Belgium, ending a streak of four wins at the World League.
• They can lose consecutive World League matches for the first time since a streak of four losses in 2013.
• France have lost only two of their last 21 World League matches, 3-1 against United States in the 2015 group stage and the aforementioned loss to Belgium.
• Kevin Tillie was France's top scorer in their match against Belgium, scoring 20 points, including 19 from spikes.