A semifinal worthy of a final and seemingly written like a thriller script unfolded in the Polish Cup tournament.
Bogdanka LUK Lublin defeated Indykpol AZS Olsztyn 3:2 sets (25:19, 16:25, 25:18, 30:32, 15:12) after 160 minutes of play and qualified for the final of the competition for the first time in its history.

The match pitted two of the strongest teams in PlusLiga this season – after 14 rounds, both Bogdanka and Indykpol are on the podium in the standings, 1st and 3rd. Just days ago, Lublin won the championship clash with a clean 3:0, but this time the Cup offered a completely different, exhausting scenario.

Powerful start by the champions.

The first set was dictated by the champions. The serve and net play, led by Wilfredo Leon, gave them an early 10:3 lead. Kevin Sasak was steady in attack, Hiliir Heno added an ace for 13:6, and Bogdanka's block worked flawlessly (18:12). Despite Indykpol's attempt to speed up the tempo at the end (19:23), the set logically went in favor of Lublin.

A slump and a strong comeback by Indykpol.

In the second part, the roles reversed. Indykpol entered far more freely, and Jan Hadrava led the attack for 8:4. Bogdanka's errors became more frequent, while the block of Daniel Plinski's team operated at full throttle (15:10, 17:11). The lead quickly swelled to 22:13, and after an attack by Moritz Karlitzek, Olsztyn leveled the sets, leaving the champions with only 16 points scored.

Counterattack through serve and block.

An ace by Finnian McCarthy set the tone for the third set. Indykpol stayed close at the start (4:5), but gradually Stefan Antiga's team's offense prevailed (9:5). The guests came back again after an attack by Pawel Halaba for 14:15, but just before the decisive phase, Bogdanka asserted its will with a block (20:16). Another powerful block brought set point (24:17), and an Indykpol error secured a 2:1 lead for Lublin.

A challenge, nerves, and 41 minutes of drama.

The fourth set started strongly for Indykpol (5:1). Gradually, Bogdanka closed the gap, and Deanan Guillma increasingly intervened at the net. At 18:18, a powerful counter by Leon restored equality, and shortly after, Guillma recorded an important block for 22:21. Sasak secured the first match point at 24:23.

However, here came the key moment with the challenge – Bogdanka's staff misjudged the situation and instead of taking the lead after a block against Leon's attack, they requested a video check for an "in-out" ball. Nevertheless, Alex Grozdanov scored an extremely important point for 21:21, and Leon twice gave his team the lead – first with a block, then with an attack for 23:22.

In total, Bogdanka had four opportunities to close the match 3:1, but Indykpol survived. Severin Lipinski's serve and Hadrava's finishing attack tipped the scales, and after 41 minutes of struggle, Olsztyn snatched the set 32:30, sending the match to a tie-break.

The decisive set – Sasak's serve and Leon's final word.

The tie-break started promisingly for the champions – 4:0, and the change of courts came at 8:6 in their favor, after Indykpol had dangerously closed in to 7:6. A block and an out-of-bounds attack by Karlitzek made it 10:6, and then Sasak stepped up to serve. After a series of strong serves, counterplay, and a stable block, the score jumped to 13:6, with Marcin Komenda and Jackson Young making key contributions during this period.

The first match point came at 14:8 after a service error by Indykpol. Four unanswered points followed, making it 14:12, but at the decisive moment, Wilfredo Leon ended the drama with a powerful attack, sending Bogdanka to the Polish Cup final for the first time.

The Leaders.

Kevin Sasak played an exceptional match, also chosen as MVP – 24 points, +21 efficiency rating, 1 ace, 5 blocks, and 34% attack efficiency.
Leon added 17 points, +5, 2 blocks, and 26% efficiency, while Alex Grozdanov was again flawless at the net – 8 points, +5, 1 block, and an impressive 77% attack efficiency.

For Indykpol, Jan Hadrava was outstanding with 29 points, and Moritz Karlitzek added 22, but their efforts were not enough.

With this epic success, Bogdanka LUK Lublin not only continues their excellent season but also takes a historic step – their first Polish Cup final after a match that will be long remembered.