Osaka, Japan, October 8, 2018 - Russia are playing their 150th match in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in their clash against their Bulgaria.
Head-to-head
• Bulgaria and Russia (including Soviet Union) meet for the eighth time at World Championships.
• Russia have won all seven previous encounters at the World Championship, five times in straight sets, twice by 3-1.
• Russia (including Soviet Union) have only won more World Championship matches versus Brazil (9) than against Bulgaria (7).
• Bulgaria have not lost more than four World Championship matches against any other opponent.
• Their only other meeting at world level major competitions was also won by Russia: a 3-1 victory as Soviet Union at the 1981 World Cup.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Grand Champions Cup and Nations League.
Bulgaria• After losing their first second-round match against United States (3-0), Bulgaria have two wins and four defeats at the 2018 World Championship.
• In their previous two appearance at the World Championships, Bulgaria won four (2014) and five (2002) matches.
• Bulgaria could now suffer two successive defeats in straight sets within a single World Championship for the first time since 3-0 losses against Italy and China in 2002.
• Gergana Dimitrova (71) and Nasya Dimitrova (69, including 10 stuff blocks) lead Bulgaria in scoring in this tournament.
Russia• This will be Russia's 150th match at the World Championships (including Soviet Union). They have a W124-L25 record in the competition.
• Russia' first-ever match at the World Championships was also against Bulgaria - a 3-0 win for the Soviet Union in 1952.
• Russia started their second round with a 3-0 win over Turkey, conceding only 48 points. Russia now have five wins and one defeat in the tournament.
• Russia need one more win to equal their six wins at the 2014 World Championship.
• Four of Russia's five wins have come in straight sets. The last time they claimed more wins in straight sets was in 2010 (5).
• In top scorer Nataliya Goncharova's absence due to a shoulder injury, Kseniia Parubets and Irina Voronkova took over as top scorers against Turkey, with 14 points each. Irina Fetisova added six stuff blocks.