Pool G: Italy - United States
Head-to-head
• These teams have met on seven previous occasions at the World Championship.
• Italy have won all of their last four World Championship encounters after three straight US victories.
• Team USA's last victory over Italy came at the 1986 World Championship, when they won 3-1 in the first round.
• This is a repeat of the 2002 gold medal match, which was won 3-2 by Italy.
• Their last meeting in a major competition came at the 2013 World Grand Prix. Italy won that match in five sets.
Italy
• Italy have won their last four matches in this tournament and also 10 of their last 11 at the World Championship.
• Italy's only defeat in their last 11 World Championship was their 3-2 defeat against Dominican Republic earlier in this tournament.
• Italy finished in the top five in each of the previous four world championships. They won the world title once (2002).
• Nadia Centoni is the second most prolific spiker in this tournament at a 49.06% success rate. Only Team USA's Kelly Murphy (52.38%) has outspiked Centoni so far.
United States
• United States have yet to win their first gold medal at the World Championship. Their best finish in the competition is runners-up twice, in 1967 and 2002. They lost the 2002 final against Italy.
• United States won their first eight matches in this tournament before losing 3-0 to Brazil. United States finished their 2010 World Championship campaign with three straight defeats, a run that started with a defeat against Brazil.
• United States have won 249 sets in World Championship history.
• Kelly Murphy and Kimberly Hill lead the US in points scoring in this tournament. The two have contributed 99 points each.