Tunis, Tunisia, June 25, 2016 - Two Latin American nations, Mexico and Venezuela, will have their first ever FIVB Volleyball World League encounter on Saturday, at the 2016 Group 3 tournament in Tunisia.
Head-to-Head
• Mexico and Venezuela will go head-to-head at the World League for the first time.
• These teams met at the World Championship of 1978 and 2010, with Mexico winning 3-1 in 1978 and 3-0 in 2010.
• Mexico and Venezuela met at the 2011 Pan American Games. Mexico won 3-1 in the group stage.
Mexico
• Mexico have won just one of their last 14 World League matches, the 3-1 win against Germany in this year's competition.
• Mexico can claim two victories in a single edition of the World League for the second time after beating Turkey and Tunisia in 2014.
• Jorge Barajas and Pedro Rangel both served up three aces in their last match against Tunisia.
• Barajas and Samuel Cordova lead their teammates in scoring (both 50 points). Daniel Vargas follows with 47 points.
• Tomas Aguilera is currently among Group 3's best blockers in the competition with 15 points from stuff blocks and an average of 0.88 per set.
Venezuela
• Having won three World League matches in 2016, Venezuela can claim at least four wins in a World League campaign for the first time since a team record five wins in 2005.
• They have now won four five-setters and lost 11 matches in the decisive set in the World League.
• Kervin Pinerua has scored 81 points, including eight aces.
• Jhonlenn Cruz Barreto Pena (67.50%) and Héctor Mata (61.90%) are currently among the best receivers in Group 3 of the 2016 World League.