Pool F: Bulgaria – Kazakhstan
Head-to-head
• These teams have never met at the World Championship.
• They met once in a major competition. On 16 August of this year, Bulgaria defeated Kazakhstan 3-1 in the World Grand Prix.
• Kazakhstan have lost all of their five World Championship matches against sides from Europe (CEV). They have lost four of the last five in straight sets.
Bulgaria
• Bulgaria cannot reach the third round and cannot finish higher than ninth in this tournament. They are thereby missing out on their first top six finish since 1970.
• Bulgaria started out this tournament with two defeats, then won three in a row and have now lost their last two.
• In their previous World Championship participation (2002), they closed out their campaign with three successive defeats.
Kazakhstan
• Each of the last nine World Championship matches involving Kazakhstan have been decided in straight sets. Kazakhstan were on the winning side twice, whilst losing on seven occasions.
• Kazakhstan's two victories in this tournament are already a team record in a World Championship campaign.
• Kazakhstan are already assured of their best finish in the competition. At the 2006 World Championship they finished in 17th place.