Bologna, Italy, September 21, 2018 – Belgium and Slovenia will have their second round clash in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, aiming to claim their fourth win.
Head-to-Head
• On 15 September, Slovenia defeated Belgium 3-2 in the first round, after trailing 2-0 in sets. That was their first meeting in a world level major competition.
• World level major tournaments are Nations League, Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League and Grand Champions Cup.
• These nations also met once at a European Championship, with Belgium winning 3-1 in 2015.
Belgium
• Belgium have three victories and two defeats this tournament.
• They could record a country record-equalling four wins at a single World Championship for the third time, after 1966 and 1970.
• Belgium could win three matches in a row for the second time, after their three successive wins in 1970.
• Simon Van De Voorde has 21 stuffed blocks, the only player with more than 14.
Slovenia
• Slovenia have played 24 total matches at world level major tournaments. They lost only four, against Greece in the 2016 World League (3-1), against Japan in the 2017 World League (3-2), against Argentina on Monday (3-2) and against Italy on Tuesday (3-1).
• Slovenia have lost back-to-back world level major tournament matches for the first time.
• Tine Urnaut has 75 spikes. Only Wallace De Souza (BRA, 81) and Miguel David Gutierrez Suarez (CUB, 80) have more.
• Mitja Gasparini has 12 aces. Together with Ivan Zaytsev (ITA) and Taylor Sander (USA) most of all players.
• Jani Kovacic has 43 outstanding digs. Only Steven Marshall (CAN, 45) has more.