Sensation in PlusLiga! Skra Bełchatów ended their losing streak against champions Bogdanka Lublin, defeating them away with 3:1 (25:20, 26:24, 19:25, 28:26). The match in "Arena Lublin" offered everything – emotions, extra points, comebacks, and amazing drama at the end.
Contested end to the match
After a weak start, which saw national opposite Kevin Sasak benched, the guests took a 2:0 lead. Bogdanka responded strongly and reduced Skra's advantage. The fourth set was a true thriller. After an ace by Alex Grozdanov, the hosts took an 18:17 lead, but a series of 5 serving errors followed for both teams. At 23:21 for Bogdanka, it seemed the champion would take the match to a tie-break, but a Bulgarian connection tipped the scales in the other direction. Daniel Kitsigoy, son of former Bulgarian national player Radostina Rangelova-Kitsigoy, attacked decisively and then troubled the hosts' reception with his serve, forcing Yang to err in attack. Thus, the score was tied – 23:23.
Bogdanka was the first to reach set point, but a missed serve opened the door for extra points. Lemanski recorded an ace and brought the first match point for Skra, after which Leon and Grozdanov had good plays for another set point. Today was not Leon's day, as he made mistakes in the last two rallies – first he was stopped by the block, and then he sent the ball out. Thus, Bełchatów took the set 28:26 and closed the match.
Heroes and figures
Alex Grozdanov finished with 7 points (2 aces) and 36% attack efficiency. The top scorer for the winners was Daniel Kitsigoy with 18 points, supported by Antoine Pothron (15), Arkadiusz Zakręta (13), and Bartosz Lemanski (13).
For the hosts, Wilfredo Leon scored 20 points, Yang added another 12, but these were not enough even for a ranking point.
The match lasted 151 minutes and was watched by 4221 spectators in the hall.
Details that decided the battle
In serving, Skra had a slight advantage – 8 aces against 6 for Bogdanka, but also with fewer service errors (16 against 20 for the hosts). In blocking, the guests also excelled (7 against 4), and in attack, they showed 39% efficiency against 37% for the hosts. The small differences in these statistics, combined with better concentration in key moments, brought Skra their historic victory.
Broken streak and a new beginning
Before this match, Bogdanka had four consecutive wins against Bełchatów, including two 3:0 victories in Lublin. Today's outcome ends the champion's dominance and brings Skra back into the fight for top positions.
The triumph is not just a statistical success – it has symbolic meaning. After a difficult start to the season, Bełchatów finally demonstrated collective spirit and maturity, while Bogdanka showed that they are not invincible even at home.
Volleyball in Poland continues to offer dramatic plots, and this evening in Lublin will be remembered as the moment when the "yellow and black" from Bełchatów regained their confidence.
photo:plusliga.pl
