A unique match was played by the captain of our national team, Alex Grozdanov, who was at the heart of the success of the champion Bogdanka Luk Lublin in their home game against Zaksa Kędzierzyn-Koźle, which ended in a dramatic five-set thriller. The middle blocker finished with 16 points (1 ace and 7!!! blocks), including giving a match point and clinching the 15th point in the tie-break to secure the end of the match, which lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes.

Strong start for ZAKSA

The start of the match was dominated by the visitors from Kędzierzyn-Koźle. Karl Urbanowicz's strong serve and Kamil Rychlicki's steady attack gave ZAKSA an early 8:4 lead. Despite many serving errors, the champions controlled the tempo and won the first set 25:21.

Lublin responds with discipline

The second set started more evenly. LUK Lublin managed to neutralize Rychlicki's powerful attack and capitalize on the opponent's own errors. Finn McCarthy distinguished himself with a service ace, and in decisive moments, captain Marcin Komenda closed the set with a block – 25:23.

Third Set – a comeback with character

The visitors started better (3:1), but Kevin Sasak's steady play and Wilfredo Leon's resurgence changed the balance. At 22:18, Lublin was fully in control and won the set 25:20.

ZAKSA snatches the fourth

Kędzierzyn-Koźle showed character in the fourth set. Rychlicki was unstoppable, and Rafał Szymura brought back the intrigue with an ace at 12:12. After a long exchange of points, the visitors held their nerve and equalized – 25:23.

The Tie-break – an apotheosis of home defense

The fifth set started with errors from both sides, but LUK built a stable lead thanks to their excellent play in block and defense. Alex Grozdanov scored an ace and a block, bringing the score to 10:5. ZAKSA failed to find a response, and at 15:10, Lublin deservedly celebrated their success.

The top scorer was Italian national Kamil Rychlicki with 27 points, but his efforts were not enough to compensate for Lublin's collective stability. Wilfredo Leon added 14, and Alex Grozdanov stood out with decisive actions in blocking and serving in the fifth set. After his ace, the score in the final set became 8-3 in favor of the hosts.
The Lublin volleyball players scored more points from counter-attacks and were more accurate in reception during key moments. Their serving, however, remained unstable Here is the JSON requested: ```json {"translations": ["BOGDANKA LUK Lublin", "ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle", "Heno (1), Komenda (3), Leon (14), Grozdanov (16), McCarthy (10), Sasak (20), Thales (libero); Malinowski, Wahnik, Young (15)", "Isaksson, Grobelny (7), Rychlicki (27), Shimura (8), Urbanowicz (10), Jakubiszak (7), Chunkiewicz (libero); Reczko (2), Szymanski (2), Krawiecki", "The top scorer was Italian national Kamil Rychlicki with 27 points, but his efforts were not enough to compensate for Lublin's collective stability. Wilfredo Leon added 14, and Alex Grozdanov stood out with decisive actions in blocking and serving in the fifth set. After his ace, the score in the final set became 8-3 in favor of the hosts.", "The Lublin volleyball players scored more points from counter-attacks and were more accurate in reception during key moments. Their serving, however, remained unstable – 19 errors compared to ZAKSA's 17.", "The decisive factor was LUK's block-defense, especially in the tie-break, when three consecutive blocks turned the tide of the match. Marcin Komenda's MVP selection is fully deserved – he controlled the tempo, distributed smartly, and showed leadership in crucial moments."]}```

The decisive factor was LUK's block-defense, especially in the tie-break, when three consecutive blocks turned the tide of the match. Marcin Komenda's MVP selection is fully deserved – he controlled the tempo, distributed smartly, and showed leadership in crucial moments.