Hamamatsu, Japan, September 29, 2018 – The Dominican Republic will be playing Rio 2016 silver medallists Serbia for the first time in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.
Head-to-Head
• Dominican Republic and Serbia will meet for the first time at the World Championships.
• These nations last met in world level major competitions (Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix and Grand Champions Cup) on 6 June 2018, when Serbia beat Dominican Republic 3-0 at the Nations League. Tijana Boškovic scored 21 points (20 spikes), at least 11 more than any other player.
• Serbia have won their last five world level encounters with Dominican Republic, all in straight sets, since a 3-2 defeat at the 2011 World Cup.
Dominican Republic
• Dominican Republic will make their eighth appearance at the World Championships and their sixth in a row.
• Dominican Republic's best result at the World Championships came in 2014, when they finished in fifth place.
• Only in 1998 (3-2 versus Germany) and in 2014 (3-2 versus Germany), Dominican Republic won their opening match at the World Championships (W2-L5).
• Dominican Republic won their opening seven matches at the 2014 World Championships, before losing their last four (incl. three in five sets).
• Dominican Republic have won their last five World Championships matches against CEV opposition, since a five-set defeat versus Turkey in the 2010 first round.
Serbia• Serbia (including as Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro) will appear at the World Championships for the fifth time and for a fourth edition in a row.
• Serbia's best result in the competition came in 2006 in Japan, when they finished in third place after beating Italy in straight sets in the bronze medal match.
• Serbia kicked off with a win in their opening match in three of their previous four World Championships appearances. They only failed to win their opener on their debut in 1978, when Peru proved too strong (3-0).
• Serbia have lost their last two World Championships matches, both in straight sets, and could now lose three in a row for the first time in the competition.