Lausanne, Switzerland, July 15, 2017 - Kazakhstan are still after their first win of the season when they host Croatia Sunday in Almaty. It's the fourth time the two teams come head-to-head in an official competition (third in the FIVB World Grand Prix), with the the European side having won all four previous encounters. Croatia are on 1-4 record so far in 2017.
Head-to-Head• Croatia are unbeaten in their four matches against Kazakhstan at world level of which three came in the World Grand Prix.
• Kazakhstan claimed only one set in these previous four matches, in their first World Grand Prix encounter in 2014.
• Croatia have won the opening set in each of their four meetings with Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan• Kazakhstan (49) are one short of 50 World Grand Prix defeats.
• Kazakhstan have lost six consecutive World Grand Prix matches, including all five in 2017.
• This is Kazakhstan's worst start to a World Grand Prix campaign since 2013, when they lost their opening seven fixtures.
• Kazakhstan have won only two sets in the 2017 World Grand Prix (one against both Germany and Colombia).
Croatia• Croatia have lost four of their five 2017 World Grand Prix matches, with the exception the 3-2 victory against Argentina in their second fixture.
• That is Croatia's only victory in a World Grand Prix five-setter (L2).
• Croatia have had only one longer World Grand Prix losing streak than their current run of three – six in 2015.
• That six-match losing streak in the 2015 World Grand Prix included the only time Croatia have lost consecutive fixtures in the competition in straight sets (against Czech Republic and Netherlands).