Poland’s national volleyball team has won the European Championships gold medal for the second time in its history. After a very exciting final, the Polish team defeated the Italians 3:0 (25:20, 25:21, 25:23) in Rome. The Poles first took gold in 2009. Since then, they have won bronze medals three times. With Italy, the Poland had a score to settle as they had lost to this rival in last year’s world championship final. The European champions were greeted by crowds of fans at Warsaw’s Okęcie airport.

The starting line-up for the national team was the same as in previous matches of the tournament including Wilfredo Leon, Aleksander Śliwka, Jakub Kochanowski, Marcin Janusz, Łukasz Kaczmarek, Norbert Huber and libero Paweł Zatorski. Team captain Bartosz Kurek, who suffered a renewed hip injury, could not play in the final.

The Poles started the match perfectly. After Huber’s service aces, they led 4:0, and the advantage achieved at the beginning was maintained until the 25:20 victory.

In the second part, the game became a bit more even, but from the 15:15 mark the concert of the White-Red players started. Leon was unstoppable, Janusz was playing very well, and Śliwka and Huber were scoring after effective counter-attacks. Thanks to their plays Poland led 20:15 and then 22:17. The set ended with 25:21 win.

The Italians started the third set better. The hosts, cheered by their fans, took a 7:4 and 10:6 lead. Then the Poles tied the match at 11 and almost to the end the game was played point for point. In the end, Kochanowski played brilliantly for the Polish team and the nervous Italians made more mistakes. At 24:22 there were match balls, the second of which was used by Sliwka.

The Polish volleyball players do not have much time to rest. On 30 September, with a meeting with Belgium, they will begin qualification for next year’s Olympic Games. During the tournament played in China, the White-Red will play against China, Bulgaria, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and the Netherlands.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński