Long Beach, USA, June 19, 2016 – Germany and Japan have both had a bad run of form in this year’s FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix so will hope for victory in their final match of the weekend.
Head-to-Head
· Japan have won 11 of their 17 World Grand Prix matches against Germany.
· Their most recent meeting in the competition came in 2013, with Japan winning in five sets.
· Japan could win consecutive World Grand Prix matches against Germany for the third time, after a run of five in 1993-2001 and two wins in a row in 2010-2011.
· The last time they met was at the 2014 World Championship. Japan won 3-2.
· Three of their last four encounters in major competitions were decided in five sets, including the last two matches. Japan won all three of these five-set matches.
Japan
· Japan hope to claim their second win at the 2016 World Grand Prix and end a four-match losing run.
· They beat Serbia 3-0 in their opening match, but then lost four in a row.
· The last year in which they had only one win at the World Grand Prix was 1999: 3-2 against Cuba.
· Sarina Koga is Japan's top scorer with 46 points.
· Mami Uchiseto has 52 digs, an average of 2.7 per set, and she has a 51% efficiency as receiver.
Germany
· Germany hope to claim their first win at the 2016 World Grand Prix. The only year in which they did not win a World Grand Prix match was 1995.
· They have now lost three matches in a row by the same scoreline, 3-1. A 3-1 score was also the result of Germany's last win at the World Grand Prix, against Serbia on 18 July 2015.
· Louisa Lippmann has scored 68 points, including eight blocks.
· Lenka Dürr's has a 47% efficiency as receiver.