Poland qualified for a second consecutive Nations League final after leaving no chances for Slovenia and winning decisively 3:0 (25:16, 25:19, 25:17) in the first semi-final in Ningbo (China). Thus, the reigning champions will have the opportunity to defend their 2025 trophy against the winner of the other semi-final between Japan and the USA.
The victory was achieved with total superiority in all key elements. The Poles scored 35 points from attack against 25 for their opponent, recorded twice as many successful blocks (12 against 6), and the biggest difference came from the serve – an impressive 9 aces against only 3 for the Slovenians.
Wilfredo Leon was above all, finishing with 16 points, including 6 aces, three of which he scored in the third set and definitively broke the opponent's resistance. Opposite Bartłomiej Bołądź contributed another 15 points, not allowing any of his attacks to be stopped by a block. In contrast, the Slovenian opposite Nik Mujanović was blocked twice by the excellently organized Polish block.
Slovenia managed to be equal only in the initial rallies of the second set, when they briefly took the lead. After that, Poland completely imposed its tempo and closed the match without hesitation.
The most effective player for the Slovenians was the 40-year-old middle blocker Alen Pajenk with 11 points, including 2 aces. Rok Možič was second with 7 points.
Slovenia's loss also costs them a place in the world ranking. The team loses 7.01 points and with a total of 336.79 points drops to sixth place, being overtaken by the USA. However, the Americans can again swap positions with the Europeans depending on the outcome of the second semi-final against Japan.
| Statistic | Slovenia | Poland |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 25 | 35 |
| Block | 6 | 12 |
| Aces | 3 | 9 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 18 | 19 |
| Total points | 52 | 75 |
| Digs | 40 | 46 |
Poland outperformed their opponent in every game component. The serve and block made the most serious impression, from which a total of 21 direct points came. These two elements rendered the Slovenians' good reception meaningless and did not allow them to build a consistent rhythm in attack. Leon became the main weapon from service, and the Polish block neutralized the opponent's most dangerous attackers.
photo:volleyballworld.com
