In a match from the 17th round of the Polish PlusLiga, Slepsk Malow Suwalki delighted its home crowd with an extremely important victory against Steam Hemarpol Norwid Czestochowa – 3:1 (25:22, 25:18, 22:25, 25:18). The encounter was of key importance for the battle in the lower part of the table and was observed by Poland's head coach Nikola Grbic.
The match started better for the visitors, who took an early lead in the first set, but Suwalki showed patience in long rallies and turned the tide thanks to Bartosz Filipiak's stable attack and crucial blocks, including an important one from Asparuh Asparuhov. In the second set, the hosts already controlled the proceedings – a series of strong serves and dominance at the net brought them a comfortable lead.
Czestochowa returned to the match in the third set, led by Patryk Indra, taking advantage of a series of Suwalki's own errors. In the fourth set, however, the hosts decided everything with a powerful blocking game – a total of six point-scoring blocks that broke the opponent and led to the closing of the match.
One of the consistent performers for the hosts was Bulgarian international Asparuh Asparuhov, who finished with 13 points, +8, 2 aces, 3 blocks, 54% positive reception, 38% attack efficiency, as well as 5 digs in defense, significantly contributing to controlling the game in key moments.
The top scorer in the match was Bartosz Filipiak with 30 points, and the MVP award deservedly went to setter Karol Jankiewicz, who confidently orchestrated Suwalki's game. The victory brought valuable three points and a breather for the hosts in the intense fight for survival. Suwalki is tenth with 18 points.
