Sapporo, Japan, September 29, 2018 – Italy will be playing European counterparts Bulgaria to officially start their 11th campaign in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.
Head-to-Head
• Italy have won all three encounters with Bulgaria at the World Championship: 3-2 in 1986, 3-0 in 1998 and 3-0 in 2002.
• These are the only three matches between these teams at world level major tournaments.
• The women's world level major competitions are: the Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Grand Champions Cup and the Nations League.
• The last time Italy and Bulgaria faced each other at a continental tournament was at the 2005 European Championship. Italy won 3-0.
• Bulgaria last beat Italy at continental level at the European Championship in 2003 (3-2).
Bulgaria• Bulgaria make their 12th appearance at the World Championship. They finished 11th in 2014.
• Bulgaria's best result was a fourth place at the first World Championship in 1952.
• Bulgaria last played at a world level major tournament at the 2017 World Grand Prix in which they finished 17th.
• Bulgaria won a ticket to the 2019 Nations League after winning the Golden European League in 2018 and the 2018 Challenger Cup.
Italy• Italy make their 11th appearance at the World Championship. They have been ever-present since their debut in 1978.
• Italy won the trophy in 2002, when they beat United States 3-2 in the final.
• Italy lost the bronze medal match versus Brazil (3-2) at the World Championship in 2014.
• They also suffered a 3-2 defeat against Brazil in the final of the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• Italy finished sixth in the preliminary round at the 2018 Nations League, recording a run of eight wins in their last eight matches.
• They missed out on the final round because China finished ninth in the preliminary round but were guaranteed a place in the final round as the host nation of the finals.
• Paola Ogechi Egonu was Italy's top scorer in the Nations League on 180 points.