Pool F: Brazil – Russia
Head-to-head
• This will be the 12th meeting between these two at the World Championship. Each of the last two were gold medal matches (2006 and 2010), which were won in five sets by Russia.
• Russia (includes Soviet Union) have won nine of those 12 World Championship confrontations with Brazil.
• Brazil's last World Championship victory over Russia came in the second group phase in 2006 (3-1). Three days later, Brazil lost the final of that tournament to Russia.
• Earlier this year, they met twice in the World Grand Prix. Both meetings were won in straight sets by Brazil.
Brazil
• Brazil have won 17 of their last 18 matches at the World Championship, the only exception being their gold medal match defeat to Russia in 2010.
• The only team that has managed to take a table point against Brazil in this tournament are Turkey who were defeated 3-2 by Brazil.
• Camila Brait is the tournament's leading digger. She is averaging 5.08 digs per set.
Russia
• After winning 17 World Championship matches in a row, Russia have now lost two of their last three in the competition. For the first time since 2002, they have suffered multiple defeats at the world championships and they have not lost three times in a single campaign since 1986 (competing as Soviet Union).
• Russia are aiming to equal the competition record of three successive gold medals, the one they set competing as Soviet Union from 1952 to 1956.
• Russia have not lost back-to-back World Championship matches since 1986, when, competing as Soviet Union, they dropped successive matches against East Germany and China.