Lausanne, Switzerland, July 21, 2017 - Poland meet Kazakhstan Saturday in Suwon for the fourth time in FIVB World Grand Prix history, with the European side enjoying a perfect record of three wins and just one set dropped in their previous encounters. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, registered their first win in 25 matches against a European side this season, when they beat Croatia in four sets.
Head-to-Head• Poland and Kazakhstan have met three times at the World Grand Prix. Poland won all three losing only one set. In the first encounter between these teams Kazakhstan clinched the third set of the match.
• Poland and Kazakhstan also met at the 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament with Poland winning in straight sets. Both teams eventually qualified for the tournament, although Kazakhstan needed another tournament to advance (Asian qualifiers).
• Kazakhstan recorded 24 defeats in a row against CEV-sides, before winning the last one against Croatia (3-1).
Poland• Poland bounced back from last weekend’s defeat against Korea (3-1) by beating Colombia 3-0 on Friday.
• Poland now have six wins and one defeat in Group 2 of this year’s World Grand Prix. In each of their 2014, 2015 and 2016 campaigns, they collected a total of five wins.
• Malwina Smarzek and Berenika Tomsia led their team in scoring against Colombia with 15 points each, while Zuzanna Efimienko added four serve winners.
Kazakhstan• Kazakhstan have won one and lost six matches in the World Grand Prix thus far this season.
• Kazakhstan have won the first set in two of their last four World Grand Prix matches after winning only one first set in the six matches prior to these four.
• Irina Kenzhebaeva scored nine of Kazakhstan’s 43 points in their match against Korea on Friday. Four of these nine were serve winners.