Head-to-head
· Cuba have won five of their eight World Cup matches against Japan.
· Cuba's five wins came in their last six World Cup encounters with Japan, including a 3-1 win in 2007, the last time they met.
· They have played against each other five times in major competitions since that last World Cup match in 2007, with Cuba winning four and Japan claiming one win.
· That Japanese win was a straight-sets victory at the 2014 World Championships, their most recent meeting.
Cuba
· Cuba lost to Argentina 3-0 on Sunday, dampening their opening round victory against Kenya (3-1).
· For Cuba, it was only their second defeat in their last 10 matches at the World Cup, the other being a 3-0 loss against Italy in 2007..
· Against Argentina, Cuba brought a balanced attack with three different players producing exactly 10 points in the contest.
Japan
· Japan finished the weekend with a win and a defeat at this World Cup. On Saturday, they beat Argentina in straight sets and on Sunday, they lost 3-2 against Russia.
· The loss against Russia ended a six-match winning streak for Japan at the World Cup.
· Despite losing the match agains Russia 3-2 in sets, Japan outscored their opponents in points (102-100).