Here are the new Polish champions! The magical season has become a fact

Looking at the overall performance of the Lublin team during the 2024/25 season, it must be admitted that it is a well-deserved gold medalist. Bogdanka LUK surprised everyone from the very start by reaching for the world star, Wilfredo Leon. And as it turned out, this was only the beginning of good news coming from Lublin.

PlusLiga: Bogdanka LUK Lublin with the Polish championship. It's a great success!

Good, because regardless of the fans' beliefs, figures like Leon are certainly a great quality added to the value of Polish games. For the Polish representative, who in the recent past was, among others, the MVP of the final of the golden European Championships for Poland (2023), and came to PlusLiga as the champion of Italy, it was also a challenge. The only unanswered question was whether Leon would cope with the burden in terms of health. At first, this volleyball player was indeed absent, but when he entered the Bogdanka LUK squad, he once again confirmed his great class .

However, it must be recognized that the team from Lublin is not only Leon. Playing a great season, probably the best in his career - captain Marcin Komenda. In addition, the duo of middle blockers, Bulgarian Alex Grozdanow and Canadian Fynnian McCarthy. Bravely supported by reserve Jan Nowakowski. Finally, two non-obvious heroes who came to Lublin straight from Trefl Gdańsk - attacker Kewin Sasak and Leon's partner in receiving - Mikołaj Sawicki. The latter was initially not my forcing his way into the lineup, where Bennie Tuinstra had his place. Ultimately, however, the Dutchman lost the competition to Sawicki and it must be admitted that the Polish receiver deservedly proved that in a duet with Wilfredo Leon, he has grown into a player of really big caliber. It is also impossible to forget about the libero. Brazilian Thales Hoss was able to hold the entire line together, whether looking at the receiving or in a typically defensive fight.

Bogdanka LUK dealt with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in the quarter-finals, led by Bartosz Kurek and coach Andrea Giani. In the semi-finals, the Lublin team snatched success from the current Polish champions, winning the decisive match on their turf. With JSW Jastrzębski-Węgiel on the schedule, Bogdanka LUK entered the finals with such momentum that after two matches they were already leading 2:0, winning twice 3:0.

On the other side of the net was Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. The team of coach Michał Winiarski, considered by many to be the main candidate for gold. But there is no hiding the fact that the team has its big problems – first and foremost personnel-wise. Before the final, the attacker Karol Butryn dropped out due to an injury. Already in the final battle, the middle blocker Jurij Gladyr joined the fight. The Zawiercie team saved themselves with a medical transfer, bringing in a great – still shining star – Georg Grozer. The German contributed his part in match number 3, when in Sosnowiec (the Jurajski Rycerze in the “four” in the play-offs played there as the host) the vice-champions of Poland postponed the medal ceremony .

Saturday's final in Lublin showed, however, that Bogdanka LUK – a bit like in the case of their home, yellow, and even slightly gold-colored shirts – deserved to be called the best in the country.

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Emotions on an equal level ended in the first set, when the Jurassic Knights had an advantage of even four points, trying to cheat fate once again. Leon, who was pressed hard with his serve, and a bit of nervousness on the hosts' side, and solid play from the visitors, gave hope for the next, fifth match - on Tuesday (i.e. May 13) again in Sosnowiec. But finally, after several endless attacks in the end, it was first 21:21, and then Leon closed the whole thing with a concert series on serve, closing the set with an ace (25:22) after exactly half an hour of play.

The second set? A crushing 25:15. It is worth adding that in the second match of the final series, also in Lublin, Bogdanka LUK managed to crush the Jurajski Knights twice, 25:14 each. However, strength on serve is not everything. The Lublin team was simply better in terms of sportsmanship. Both in the first, second and fourth time of the series, they played for gold.

However, it must be said that even with their own problems, the Zawiercie team rose again at the beginning of the third set. Starting with an advantage and then pressing the opponent until the end. Winiarski, looking for a breather for the leaders – Aaron Russell, who also had health problems – also looked for passport solutions. Among other things, giving a moment to play for the two: libero Luke Perry and receiver Patryk Łaba. This was still in the third set. If it were not for the circumstances, the Australian would probably have played in this and the previous final. However, if three matches in a series end with the results 3:0 for Bogdanka LUK, then there is no chance here. The Lublin team deservedly reached for gold. The first medal in its history, looking at the Polish Championships. Right from this most important, most valuable metal.

Let us add that the MVP statuette of Saturday's final went to the setter and captain of the new champions, Marcin Komenda.

Silver for Jurajskie Rycerze (second in a row), bronze for PGE Projekt Warszawa – this is how the league podium of the 2024/25 season was arranged. But this is not the end of sports emotions involving club volleyball. On May 16-18, in the Atlas Arena in Łódź, the Final Four of the Champions League will take place. The Zawiercie team will play there again, this time without Grozer (procedural issues), but perhaps with the cured Butryn. In the "Polish semi-final" they will face JSW Jastrzębski-Węgiel on Saturday (i.e. May 17).

And Bogdanka LUK? They can celebrate. After such a season, with two titles under their belt, they fully deserved it!

Read also: Special words from the Polish representative. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here" Read also: Rafał Szymura for "Wprost": I have a dream to go to the World Championships