Poland qualified for the semifinals of the European Women's Volleyball Championship. In Istanbul, Stefano Lavarini's team defeated the Netherlands 3:1 (25:16, 20:25, 25:20, 25:23) after 129 minutes of play.
Thus, the Polish women entered the medal zone, although the quarterfinal was played in front of many empty seats in the stands. Television footage showed the low attendance, and Polish media paid special attention to the unusual atmosphere for a match with such high stakes. The match started at 4:00 PM local time in Istanbul, which was also cited as one of the probable reasons for the small number of spectators.
Poland started with difficulty and fell behind 1:4, but quickly equalized at 4:4. Gradually, Magdalena Jurczyk's block began to create serious problems for the Dutch, and after 15:10, the Polish women's lead continued to grow. An ace by Monika Lampkowska made the score 22:14, and the first set ended decisively – 25:16.
The Netherlands reacted in the second set. Felix Kozlowski's team sped up their play and, after an even start, gradually took the initiative. At 22:18, their lead was already significant, and the Dutch equalized after 25:20.
Poland again imposed its game in the third set. After a 3:0 start, Lavarini's team maintained a small but constant lead. During the set, Paulina Damaske replaced Lampkowska, and her inclusion proved important. It was Damaske who scored the decisive points for 25:20 and a 2:1 set lead.
The fourth set was the most contested. The Netherlands led 3:1, Poland turned it around to 9:7, and then the two teams entered a real battle. A block by Jurczyk against Elles Dambrink gave them 15:13, but the Dutch did not give up and reached 19:17.
Then Lavarini made changes that paid off. Martyna Czyrniańska recorded an ace, and then the Polish women turned the tide of the set. Jurczyk secured a match point with a block, and Damaske ended the match – 25:23 and 3:1.
The most effective player in the match was Elles Dambrink from the Netherlands with 18 points. Jasper added 15 points. For Poland, Julita Piasecka and Magdalena Stysiak scored 14 each, and Magdalena Jurczyk finished with 13 points.
With this success, Poland advances to the semifinals of EuroVolley 2026 and is now just one win away from the battle for the European title. In the semifinal on September 5, Poland will face world champions Italy in Istanbul.

photo:cev.eu