Poland won the XXIII Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial in Krakow. In the decisive match for first place, Nikola Grbic's team overturned France with a 3:1 (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20) victory and finished the tournament with three wins from three matches.
Poland – France 3:1 (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20)
The French started better and took a 7:4 lead, and their strong play at the net increased the difference to 12:7. Poland gradually came back, mainly thanks to their blocking, with Tomasz Fornal playing a key role in reducing the deficit. The hosts drew level at 19:19, but in crucial moments Antoine Brizard troubled the opponent with his serve, and Théo Faure closed the first set at 25:22.
From the second set, the picture changed. Jakub Nowak performed excellently in attack, blocking, and serving, while Bartosz Boladz continued to be Poland's most reliable option in offense. The Poles took a 10:6 lead, gradually increased the difference, and leveled the match after a convincing 25:17.
Their superiority was even more convincing in the third set. The Polish block practically neutralized the French attack, and the lead reached 21:11. Kevin Sasak ended the set at 25:15, and Poland took a 2:1 lead.
The hosts maintained control in the fourth set as well. Tomasz Fornal continued to create serious problems for the French with his blocking, and at 20:14, victory already seemed close. Towards the end, Marcin Komenda successfully utilized the middle blockers Szymon Jakubiszak and Jakub Nowak, before Poland closed the match with 25:20.
Bartosz Boladz was the top scorer for the winners with 20 points. Kamil Semeniuk added 13, Tomasz Fornal – 11, and Jakubiszak and Nowak finished with 7 each. For France, Mathis Enard scored 13 points.
All results from the XXIII Hubert Wagner Memorial
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| August 28 | France – USA | 3:0 (28:26, 25:21, 25:23) |
| August 28 | Poland – Slovenia | 3:2 (26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11) |
| August 29 | France – Slovenia | 3:1 (16:25, 25:21, 25:15, 25:21) |
| August 29 | Poland – USA | 3:1(22:25,25:15,25:20,25:22) |
| August 30 | Slovenia – USA | 2:3(30:28,26:28,25:17,19:25,11:15) |
| August 30 | Poland – France | 3:1(22:25,25:17,25:15,25:20) |
Poland was the only undefeated team in Krakow. The last two matches were particularly indicative – against the USA and France, the Poles lost the first set, but in both cases, they reacted with three consecutive won sets. France finished with two wins, the USA with one, and Slovenia remained without a success.
Final Standings
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Poland | 3 | 0 |
| 2. | France | 2 | 1 |
| 3. | USA | 1 | 2 |
| 4. | Slovenia | 0 | 3 |
Individual Awards
MVP:Bartosz Boladz (Poland)
Best Opposite:Bartosz Boladz (Poland)
Best Middle Blocker:Jakub Majchrzak (Poland)
Best Outside Hitter:Cooper Robinson (USA)
Best Libero:Benjamin Diez (France)
Best Setter:Antoine Brizard (France)
For Bulgaria, the performance of "Druzyna Polska" is particularly interesting. Poland is an opponent of our national team in Group B of EuroVolley in Sofia and arrives at the championship in excellent form. Before the European Championship, Nikola Grbic's team has one more test – against Finland on September 5th in Gdansk.
