The reigning Nations League champion Poland concluded the main phase with a convincing 3-0 (25:20, 25:21, 25:19) victory over host USA in the last match of the tournament in Chicago. The success definitively shaped the final standings and the quarter-final pairings for the Final Eight, which will take place from July 29 to August 2 in the Chinese city of Ningbo.
Nikola Grbić's team finished the preliminary phase with 10 wins and 29 points, which secured them second place in the standings. The Poles recorded four consecutive victories in Chicago against Bulgaria, Brazil, France, and USA, and in the last match, they controlled the events for most of the time and deservedly achieved a straight-set victory.
Bartłomiej Bołądź was the top scorer for the winners with 16 points, Wilfredo León added 14, and Tomasz Fornal and Bartłomiej Lemański scored 9 each. For the Americans, Matt Anderson finished with 13 points.
After the conclusion of the main phase, all quarter-final matchups became clear. The preliminary phase winner Japan will face host China, who qualified for the Final Eight as the tournament organizer. Poland will go up against Ukraine, Italy will have a tough match with USA, and Slovenia will measure strengths with France.
| Date | Quarter-final |
|---|---|
| July 29 | Japan – China |
| July 30 | Poland – Ukraine |
| July 30 | Italy – USA |
| July 31 | Slovenia – France |
The draw set up four extremely interesting pairings. Japan will start as favorites against host China, Poland will seek a spot in the semi-finals against debutant Ukraine, Italy and USA will meet in one of the most anticipated clashes, and Slovenia and France will repeat one of the most contested European rivalries in recent years. The winners will qualify for the semi-finals on August 1, and the final and the bronze medal match are on August 2.
photo:volleyballworld.com
