Polish volleyball players in the World Championship quarterfinals! The team responded masterfully.
Poland started the match without Tomasz Fornal. The Polish striker has been complaining of minor back discomfort, so to ensure he's fully prepared for the challenges ahead, coach Nikola Grbić ultimately opted for a similarly proven option: Kamil Semeniuk, who formed a duo with Wilfredo Leon at receiver.
The rest remains unchanged: Bartosz Kurek as attacker, Marcin Komenda as setter, Norbert Huber and Jakub Kochanowski as centers, and Jakub Popiwczak as libero.
World Championships: Poles beat Canadians. Advance to the quarterfinals!The Canadians, under coach Dan Lewis, well-known to Polish fans for his performances in the PlusLiga, had nothing but strength to gain against the world runners-up. This was evident from the very beginning of the match, when Canada consistently tried every possible way to get a hold of the favorites.
The first set, however, was a lost cause. A 25-18 win left no doubt as to who was the better team that day. The Canadian coach, however, was looking for a solution that would energize the team. As it turned out, reserve Jackson Young showed his strength that day. Sharone Vernon-Evans, also a former Polish player, also contributed. However, Young lacked the strength to sustain the team's offensive efforts throughout the four-set match.
A worrying sign was a lull at the end of the second set. The Poles had an 18-15 lead, only to lose the set 23-25. The Canadians capitalized on a momentary lack of offensive effectiveness on the Polish side. A few point-scoring blocks, coupled with a stronger serve from Canada, ended the set with Semeniuk blocked on the right wing.
In the third set, however, the Poles mounted a strong response, winning 25-20. It was a masterful response, as the Canadians, if they were to feel their opponent's weakness again, could have fired up even more. However, Poland isn't allowing this during the ongoing World Championships in the Philippines, which should be considered in light of the truly impressive strength of the reigning European champions.
After winning the set and taking a 2-1 lead, the Poles consistently executed their plan in the fourth and final set. They had the upper hand in virtually every aspect of the volleyball match. A score like 22-13 perfectly demonstrates the extent of the advantage. There's no doubt that the end of the second set taught Grbić's team a valuable lesson. However, it's no secret that no one is going to give up on the favorites at this year's World Championships. Therefore, sets like these demonstrate that even if something doesn't work for a moment, in the end, Poland prevails once again.
Kamil Semeniuk led Poland with 18 points. The other two scorers were Kurek (15) and Leon (14).
When and with whom is the next match of the Polish national volleyball team?Poland will face Turkey in the quarterfinals. Turkey advanced to the quarterfinals of the Men's Volleyball World Championships for the first time in its history. The Poland-Turkey match is scheduled for Wednesday (September 24), marking the first day of the 2025 World Championships, when the quarterfinals will begin.
The match will kick off (as it seems every tournament day) at 9:30 a.m. Polish time. The Poland-Türkiye match will be broadcast live on Polsat and on the Polsat Sport and Polsat Sport Extra channels.
Additionally, you can use the Polsat Box Go platform online.
Read also: Volleyball magician to play in Poland. Will he knock the world champions out of the tournament? Read also: Iga Świątek's wild day. Two matches within hours of each other. The Polish player shines!
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