In qualifying for the 2017 FIVB World Championships via their international ranking, Plavins will be playing in his sixth-straight worlds while Regza will be appearing for the first-time. After placing fourth at the 2011 Worlds in Rome with Janis Smedins, the Latvians validated that finish with a bronze medal placement at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Plavins teamed with Aleksandrs Samoilovs to win the 2015 FIVB under-21 world championships in Rio de Janeiro. While Plavins started playing on the FIVB World Tour in 2005, Regza’s first event was in 2012. Plavins and Regza topped the podium at the inaugural European Games in 2016 at Baku, Azerbaijan.