Lausanne, Switzerland, September 7, 2017 – Japan and Brazil, each with a 1-1 win-loss record so far, will both be looking for their second 2017 FIVB Women's World Grand Champions Cup victory as they close the first competition day taking place in Nagoya, following two days of action in Tokyo. This will be their sixth encounter in the history of the Grand Champions Cup.
Head-to-Head
• Japan and Brazil have met five times at the Grand Champions Cup. Japan won only once, in straight sets in 2001.
• Brazil claimed straight-set victories against Japan in the Grand Champions Cup in 1997, 2005 and 2013. In 2009, they won 3-1.
• Their most recent meeting came at the 2017 World Grand Prix in which Japan prevailed after five sets.
Japan
• After an opening win against Korea, Japan failed to win their second match at the 2017 Grand Champions Cup - 1-3 defeat against Russia.
• Japan did not lose back-to-back matches in the last edition of the Grand Champions Cup in 2013. They last lost successive matches in the competition in 2009 (against the Dominican Republic and Italy).
• Japan's last three victories in the Grand Champions Cup all came in straight sets.
• Japan have yet to win a five-setter in the competition (13 victories in total).
• Japan finished seventh in the 2017 World Grand Prix, but managed to win the Asian Championship. Their last top-three finish at a world-level tournament was a second place in the 2014 World Grand Prix.
• Koyomi Tominaga (4) and Risa Shinnabe (3) scored seven of Japan's nine aces against Russia.
Brazil
• Brazil lost by 2-3 to China in their second match in the 2017 Grand Champions Cup, ending a seven-match winning streak in the competition.
• It was only their second defeat in their last 17 Grand Champions Cup matches, after the 0-3 defeat to Italy in 2009.
• Brazil have only once lost back-to-back matches in the competition, as they lost their first two matches of the 2001 campaign (0-3 against Japan, 2-3 against Russia).
• Brazil are on a roll in 2017, winning the World Grand Prix and the South American Championship.
• Tandara Caixeta scored the most points for Brazil in both matches so far, 28 against Russia and 23 against China.