Lausanne, Switzerland, June 3, 2017 - After losing their opening matches to France and Russia respectively, Bulgaria and Argentina are still seeking their first win in the 2017 FIVB World League when they clash on Saturday in Kazan.
Head-to-Head• The last four encounters between these teams in major competitions all took place in the 2015 World League.
• They split the series 2-2, with Argentina winning the most recent meeting of the four (3-1).
• Bulgaria have won five of their last seven encounters with Argentina in the World League.
• In total have Bulgaria won 15 World League matches against Argentina (L5), more than versus any other opponents.
• Their most recent meeting in another competition than the World League came at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, with Argentina winning 3-1 in the preliminary round.
Bulgaria• Bulgaria suffered a 3-0 defeat against France on the opening day. They lost their first match for the fourth straight season.
• Last season, Bulgaria lost their first eight matches in the campaign, in 2015 they countered with four straight victories after an initial loss.
• In their match against France, Bulgaria collected 60 points. Ten of those were added by top scorer Tsvetan Sokolov.
Argentina• Argentina lost their opener against Russia: 3-0.
• This was Argentina’s first straight sets defeat in eight World League matches. Of the previous seven matches in this span, they won three.
• Since the start of the 2014 season, Argentina have now lost six matches in straight sets. On four of the previous five occasions, they countered with a victory in the following match.
• Gonzalo Quiroga (12, all spikes) was Argentina’s only player with more than five points in their match against Russia.