Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie won its first-ever PlusLiga title in Polish history after defeating Bogdanka LUK Lublin 3:1 (15:25, 25:21, 25:14, 25:21) in the fifth and final match.
The final series offered a dramatic scenario, as for the first time since 2013, the Polish champion was determined after the maximum five matches. Alex Grozdanov's team led 2:1 in the final series and was just one victory away from a historic second consecutive title, but Zawiercie turned the tide of the battle by defeating Bogdanka at home and claiming the gold medals in front of a packed hall in Sosnowiec.
Bogdanka's head coach, Stefan Antiga, fielded the same lineup he used in the fourth match, with Jackson Young once again starting in place of the recovering Ulir Eno. Mikolaj Sawicki, rehabilitated after a doping scandal, also entered the game during the match.
The match started excellently for the guests from Lublin. After 9:9, they pulled away in the score and completely dictated the game until the end of the first set. Bulgarian international Alex Grozdanov scored the most points in this part – 4, and Bogdanka won convincingly with 25:15. The low attacking efficiency of the hosts – 27% – also contributed to this result.
The second set was much more balanced. The score went point for point until 17:17, after which the hosts made a crucial break. Lublin tied at 18:18, but Zawiercie responded with a block and an ace to take a 21:18 lead. Boladz secured the first set point, and another ace evened the match.
The third set was a complete mirror of the first, but this time in favor of Zawiercie. The hosts started strongly with a 5:1 lead, and Bogdanka's service errors allowed Warta to accumulate break after break. Grozdanov's sixth point came at 17:9, but the visitors were already out of control. A Kwolek attack ended the set at 25:14.
Bogdanka had a chance to bring back the intrigue in the fourth set after taking a 10:8 and 11:10 lead following a block by Grozdanov for his seventh point. Zawiercie, however, reversed the trend with an ace and an attack out by the visitors for 13:11. Lublin closed the gap to just one point several times, but after a serve into the net and another break, the score became 18:15. In the end, Russell played key balls, and a service error out by Sawicki gave Zawiercie their first championship point, followed by a block against star Wilfredo Leon, which secured the title for Zawiercie.
Alex Grozdanov finished with 8 points, a +6 efficiency rating, 4 blocks, and 44% attacking efficiency.
The hosts achieved their historic triumph nine years after their first participation in PlusLiga, winning the first championship title in the club's history.
Thus, Zawiercie will participate in the Champions League Final Four as the champion of Poland.