Poland went flawlessly through the first, easier part of the group stage of the European Championship in Sofia, but in the camp of the European champions, they openly admit that the real challenges are just beginning. After Portugal, Israel, and North Macedonia, Ukraine and Bulgaria are next.
The Poles won their first three matches without losing a set and accumulated 9 points, and Nikola Grbic also used the matches for serious rotations.
"The three biggest positives are that we won all matches without losing a set, we are healthy, and everyone was on the court, felt the rhythm of the matches and the hall, and is ready for the next challenges," summarized captain Aleksander Sliwka.
Grbic also highlighted the lack of injuries, playing time for everyone, and maintaining concentration, but after the third victory, he drew a clear line:
"I'm happy because now the tournament truly begins. I hope from this moment on we will be at the level we can play at."
Ukraine's 3:1 victory over Bulgaria became one of the main topics in the Polish camp. Grbic expects the result to affect both of Poland's upcoming opponents.
"Ukraine will be carried by the victory over Bulgaria, and this will give the team even greater momentum. In turn, the Bulgarians will come out against us annoyed and additionally motivated to show their best in front of their fans," commented the Serbian specialist.
Sliwka also does not consider the Ukrainians' success in Sofia to be accidental.
"Ukraine has shown a very high level of volleyball not for the first time. In the Nations League this year, they defeated France and Brazil, among others, and reached the Final Eight. Now they defeated Bulgaria in front of practically full stands. This is a really very uncomfortable team that plays very physically."
Setter Jan Firlej also pointed to Ukraine as Poland's first opponent in the "top level" group and made a direct reference to Bulgaria's loss.
"This is an extremely dangerous opponent – if you allow them to impose their rhythm, it becomes very difficult to play against them, as the Bulgarians themselves experienced," Firlej stated.
An interesting detail shows how the Poles used the first part of the group stage. On the day of the match with North Macedonia, they even held a morning strength training session, more serious than the usual pre-match activation.
"This was probably the last moment when we could add a little more weight training. It wasn't an incredibly heavy training, but it was a bit more strength-focused," Firlej revealed.
Thus, Poland reached the decisive days in Group B with maximum points and without losing a set. On September 15, at 7:00 PM Bulgarian time, the European champions will face Ukraine, and a day later, again at 7:00 PM, they will play against Bulgaria in "Arena 8888".
The message from the Polish camp is clear – the calm part is over. From now on, the real challenges begin.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov