Bogdanka LUK Lublin's team qualified for the semifinals of the TAURON Polish Men's Volleyball Cup, after a 3:1 victory over Stal Nysa as visitors. Although Stefan Antiga's team entered the match as a clear favorite, the hosts played a strong game and until the very end sought a chance to take the match to a tie-break. In the end, the class of the reigning champion and the decisive role of Wilfredo Leon tipped the scales in favor of Lublin.
Missed opportunities in the first set
The start was marked by long and evenly matched rallies. With Wilfredo Leon's serves, the visitors pulled ahead by three points, and an ace followed after a timeout for Stal (4:8). Kamil Kosiba led the hosts' attack, and Nysa's block worked well. After an ace by Kosiba, the score was tied (9:9), which forced Antiga to call a timeout. Until the end of the set, Stal repeatedly came back in the score, but service errors proved fatal. An ace by Hilaire Eno brought a series of set points for LUK, two of which were saved, but a missed serve at the decisive moment ended the set.
Stal dictated the second set
The second part started with a bang for the hosts – an ace by Max Schulz and a 4:1 lead. LUK equalized, but then Stal set the pace with successful attacks by Viktor Musial and Kosiba. Nysa's block read the opponent's game excellently. After another stop of an Eno attack, the score became 14:11 and Antiga reacted again with a timeout. This did not stop the hosts' momentum and the set was closed after another scoring block.
The champion's awakening
The third set began with an exchange of blocks and a 3:3 tie. Gradually, LUK began to build a lead, led by Leon. Despite Kosiba's efforts and individual strong moments from Schulz, the difference remained. After 12:18, Marek Lebedev tried changes in the lineup, but they did not yield results. Middle blockers Alex Grozdanov and Finian McCarthy ended the set with decisive attacks.
Leon decided everything
In the fourth set, McCarthy opened with two aces, but Stal quickly got back into the match. An evenly matched battle followed, in which the hosts did not give up the initiative (14:14, 17:15). In the decisive moments, however, Leon took responsibility. After an ace for 20:21 and two more direct serves at the end, the Polish national finally broke Stal's resistance and led Bogdanka LUK Lublin to the semifinals.
Final score
Stal Nysa – Bogdanka LUK Lublin 1:3
(22:25, 25:16, 15:25, 20:25)
Top scorers
| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Stal Nysa | Kosiba | 16 |
| Stal Nysa | Musial | 13 |
| Stal Nysa | Putkowski | 12 |
| Bogdanka LUK Lublin | Leon | 23 |
| Bogdanka LUK Lublin | Eno | 15 |
| Bogdanka LUK Lublin | McCarthy | 7 |
The numbers clearly showed where the difference lay – Wilfredo Leon's 23 points and his series of aces at the end of the match proved decisive. Stal Nysa had a more even distribution of points but failed to maintain their level in the second and third sets. LUK Lublin dominated on serve and in crucial moments, which compensated for inconsistent periods in defense and reception.
Alex Grozdanovplayed a full match for the winners and finished with 5 points, with 50% attack efficiency, bringing stability at the net's center in key moments.
