Sapporo, Japan, October 4, 2018 - Undefeated teams Italy and China will clash to decide the team that will finish on top of Pool B in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.
Head-to-Head
• Italy have faced China eight times at the World Championship, winning twice and losing six times.
• The eight encounters between these two teams are joint-most for both Italy and China at the World Championship. Italy also faced United States eight times, and China played eight matches versus Japan.
• Italy and China met twice at the World Championship in 2014. Italy won 3-1 in the group stages, and China won 3-1 in the semi-finals.
• Italy have won their last three matches versus China in major world level competitions.
• The women's world level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Grand Champions Cup and Nations League.
• Their last match was at the 2018 Nations League, when Italy won 3-1. Paola Ogechi Egonu scored 27 points for Italy in this match, more than China's two highest scorers Yang Fangxu (13) and Zhu Ting (12) combined.
Italy• Italy have won all four matches at the 2018 World Championship in straight sets - 3-0 wins over Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba and Turkey.
• In 2002, Italy started their campaign with five wins, a team record they could equal here.
• For the first time since 2006 (5), Italy could win five matches in a row by a 3-0 scoreline within a single World Championship.
• Paola Ogechi Egonu was Italy's top scorer in all four 2018 World Championship matches. She has 65 total points in the tournament.
China• 2014 runners-up China opened their 2018 quest for the title with straight-set wins over Cuba, Turkey and Canada and a 3-1 against Bulgaria.
• China started their 2014 campaign with eight wins, including six in straight sets.
• China could win five successive World Championship matches for the second time in this century, after those eight wins at the start of the 2014 edition.
• With 21 points against Bulgaria, Ting Zhu improved to 67 total points in the tournament, most for China.