Lausanne, Switzerland, June 9, 2017 - Bulgaria and Canada meet for the eighth time across all official FIVB competitions Saturday in Varna, with the European side leading the series 4-3 - though the North Americans have won three of five matches this century.
Head-to-Head• Bulgaria have won four of their seven major encounters with Canada, but Canada have won three of the five meetings between these sides this century.
• Their last four meetings all came in the 2015 World League. They split the series one win apiece in Varna, Bulgaria, before doing the same in Summerside, Canada.
• They also met in the group stage at the 2014 World Championship. Canada pipped Bulgaria 3-2 in that match.
Canada• Canada have lost consecutive World League matches 3-1, against last year's finalists Serbia and Brazil. They had started their 2017 campaign with five-set victories versus Belgium and United States.
• Canada could lose three consecutive World League matches for the first time since June 2015 (versus Cuba and Argentina twice).
• Canada could lose three consecutive World League fixtures (versus three different opponents) for the first time since June 2012 – Finland, Brazil and Poland.
Bulgaria• Bulgaria have won consecutive World League matches, both in five sets (against Russia and Poland), after beginning their 2017 campaign with two defeats.
• Of Bulgaria's last five World League matches, four have gone to a deciding set (W3-L1).
• Bulgaria could win three consecutive World League matches for the first time since June to July 2015.
• Bulgaria recorded only one win in the 2016 World League, their final fixture (3-2 against Australia) after losing the first eight.