Bologna, Italy, September 22, 2018 – Australia will play Belgium next in their quest for a record third triumph in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Saturday.
Head-to-Head
• Belgium have won all six previous meetings with Australia in a world level major tournament.
• World level major tournaments are Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• All these six meetings were in the World League. Australia won two sets in these meetings.
Australia
• Australia have won two of their last four World Championship matches, while they had only two wins in 22 matches prior to these four.
• Australia could win three matches at a single World Championship for the first time.
• Ever since 2006, Australia have avoided losing back-to-back World Championship matches in straight sets. Back then, this occurred against Cuba and Brazil.
• Lincoln Alexander Williams has scored 88 points at this World Championship, most for Australia.
Belgium
• Belgium lost their first second round match in straight sets against debutants Slovenia. They now have three victories and three defeats this tournament.
• They could equal their team's record of four wins at a single World Championship for the third time, after 1966 and 1970.
• Belgium could lose back-to-back matches in straight sets for the first time since 1978, when France, Netherlands and Canada won 3-0.
• Sam Deroo (14 points) and Bram Van Den Dries (11) were the two players reaching double figures against Slovenia. Simon Van De Voorde improved his stuff block total for the tournament to 24.