Bogdanka LUK Lublin, led by the captain of the Bulgarian national team Alex Grozdanov, will defend its title in the Polish PlusLiga after qualifying for the final with a second victory over PGE Project Warsaw – 3:1(25:14,26:24,18:25,25:17).
The champions dominated from the very beginning of the match in "Globus" hall, putting pressure on their opponent with serve and block. The errors in Warsaw's play were maximally exploited and the first set passed entirely under the dictation of the hosts – 25:14.
In the second set, PGE Project showed a completely different face and engaged in an even battle, even taking a lead in the middle of the segment. In the decisive moments, however, Lublin remained calm, and an attack by Malinovsky brought them success with 26:24.
The third set proved to be the only hesitation for the champions. The hosts made a series of errors, and the guests took advantage of their counter-attacks and reduced the deficit after 18:25.
In the fourth set, however, Bogdanka quickly regained control. Alex Grozdanov was solid in the middle and finished with 10 points, including 5 blocks, playing a key role in their superiority at the net. At the decisive moment, Wilfredo Leon took the initiative with his serve, delivering a run that broke the opponent's resistance and sealed the final 25:17.
Leon was the top scorer for the winners with 18 points and was deservedly named MVP of the match. Malinovsky added 12, and Grozdanov solidified his strong performance with effective blocking play.
With this victory, Bogdanka won the series 2-0 and will once again play for the gold in the PlusLiga. The champions will face a repeat of last year's final against Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, who earlier eliminated Asseco Resovia.