Poland started its participation in the Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial in Krakow with a victory, but the success against Slovenia with3:2 (26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11)was overshadowed by the injury of middle blocker Bartosz Lemanski. He was forced to leave in the first set due to an ankle injury, and the exact nature of the injury and the necessary recovery period are yet to be determined. His condition is of particular interest to Bulgaria as well, as Poland is among the opponents of our national team in the group stage of EuroVolley 2026 in Sofia.
Poland – Slovenia 3:2 (26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11)
The unpleasant moment for the Poles came at the very beginning of the match. At 5:7 in the first set, Lemanski landed awkwardly after an attempt to block, stepping on an opponent's foot and twisting his ankle. Polish media describe the injury as an ankle joint sprain. The 217-centimeter middle blocker was in serious pain and could not leave the court on his own, requiring assistance from the medical staff. Jakub Nowak took his place.
In the following minutes, the physiotherapists of the Polish national team attended to Lemanski by the court. In the middle of the second set, he left the hall limping, and according toSport.plhe probably went for medical examinations.
As of the morning of August 29, there is no officially announced diagnosis or recovery period. Therefore, at this stage, it would be premature to make predictions about Lemanski's participation in the European Championship. The examinations should show the exact nature of the injury and how much time the middle blocker will need for recovery.
The situation is also important for Bulgaria. Poland is one of our national team's opponents in the EuroVolley group in Sofia, and Lemanski returned to the national team this season after a seven-year absence and established himself as an important figure in Nikola Grbic's squad. He was among the main middle blockers for the Poles during their triumph in the Nations League this summer.
The injury comes at a time when Grbic already had problems in this position during the season. Mateusz Bieniek missed the national summer due to health issues, and Jakub Kochanowski also suffered an injury and could not recover in time. Norbert Huber, on the other hand, is not part of the national team this season. Thus, developments regarding Lemanski's condition will be followed with particular attention in Poland in the remaining time until EuroVolley.
The match itself against Slovenia started better for the opponent. The Slovenians took a 4:1 lead, but the Poles gradually found their rhythm. Bartosz Boladz played a significant role in the attack, and after an even second half of the set, it reached 24:24. Poland snatched the set 26:24, with the last point coming directly from a serve by Wilfredo Leon.
Slovenia responded in the second set. Nik Mujanović and Rok Možič caused problems for the Poles, and the visitors managed to build a lead in the decisive part. Jan Kozamernik finished the set with a successful attack through the middle for 25:21 and leveled the score at 1:1.
Poland showed significantly better play in the third set. The hosts took a 9:6 lead, then increased their advantage to 13:8 and controlled the development of the set. Slovenia failed to close the gap, and an error by the visitors from a serve ended the set at 25:19.
The fourth set changed the picture again. After an even start, Slovenia managed to pull away to 14:11. The Poles stayed close to their opponent and tried to come back at the very end, but Mujanović scored the last point for 25:23 and sent the match into a tie-break.
The decisive fifth set started excellently for Poland. With a strong serve from Kamil Semeniuk, the hosts took a 3:0 lead, and subsequently increased their advantage to 7:4. Slovenia tried to come back, but this time the Poles maintained the initiative. Artur Szalpuk ended the match with a successful attack from the left wing for 15:11.
Thus, Poland started the Wagner Memorial with a five-set victory, but immediately after the match, the result took a back seat due to Lemanski's condition. Nikola Grbic's team's next opponent is the USA, and medical news about the Polish middle blocker will be awaited with no less interest than the team's performance in the tournament.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov