Tokyo, Japan, June 3, 2016 - Unlike Japan, Canada are still hoping to qualify for Rio, but a Saturday loss to the hosts of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Olympic Qualification Tournament would practically erase the likelihood.
Head-to-head
• Canada won the last encounter with Japan at the World Olympic Qualification tournament in Tokyo in 2004 in straight sets.
• Japan and Canada have met twice at the Olympic Games, both in group stage matches. In 1984, Canada won in straight sets. In Barcelona in 1992, Japan won 3-2 .
• Their most recently encounter came in the 2015 World Cup when Japan won in straight sets.
Japan
• Japan could lose five consecutive matches at the World Olympic Qualification tournament for the first time since 2004.
• They have only won their opening match against Venezuela (3-1). The last time they won only one match at a World Olympic Qualification tournament was 1996.
• Kunihiro Shimizu (81) has scored third most points of all players participating in Tokyo. Only Antonin Rouzier (FRA, 96) and Thomas Edgar (AUS, 82) have scored more often.
Canada
• Canada lost their last match at the World Olympic Qualification tournament against France in straight sets, after they had defeated Australia (3-2) and Venezuela (3-0).
• Canada need two victories to equal their win-loss record from the last time they participated at the World Olympic Qualification tournament in 2004 (W4-L3). That record was not sufficient to qualify for the Olympic Games in Athens.
• Gavin Schmitt has scored a team-high 78 points, joint fourth-most of all players participating at the tournament in Tokyo.
• Ten of those points came from aces, most of all players.