Polish Volleyball Players Are Made of Gold! Concert Final and Knockout of World Champions

Before kickoff, one of the biggest questions was whether coach Nikola Grbić would have Tomasz Fornal at his disposal. Ultimately, however, the receiver, injured in the semifinal against Brazil, was replaced by Kamil Semeniuk.

VNL 2025: Poles take gold! Nikola Grbić's team crushes the Italians

This proved to be another brilliant move by the Polish coach. Moreover, leading up to the final, much praise was being written and said – and rightly so – about Kewin Sasak, the Polish offensive line's number one. However, the attacker played a bit worse than usual in the gold medal game. But that's when the receiving duo, the aforementioned Semeniuk and – above all – Wilfredo Leon (the top scorer), took matters into their own hands.

What was the final match like? The Poles struggled most with the Italians in the opening set, a fact evident in the final score of 25-22. Ultimately, this was the most even match, as the Polish team completely controlled the next two sets. Moreover, when there were sections that needed tweaking, Grbić responded – for example, by substituting Jakub Nowak for Szymon Jakubiszak. The latter entered the second set and immediately added his touch.

It's also worth applauding Marcin Komenda's sound distribution. What Michał Kubiak was talking about before the final ultimately didn't pan out, as it proved to be the right approach against the world champions. While one might have some doubts about the simplicity of the gameplay, ultimately, there's nothing wrong with using certain techniques.

The Polish blocking effort, a display of strength and tactical consistency, also deserves recognition. Jakub Popiwczak once again made his mark, taking on some very difficult serves and also excelling in defense.

Nations League: Second gold for the Polish national team! Poles lead the table

The gold medal won at the 2025 VNL is the second gold medal for Polish volleyball players in this competition. The Poles previously won in 2023, during a tournament held at the Ergo Arena in Tricity.

Interestingly, looking at the all-time standings, the Polish national team has taken the lead. They have two gold medals, one silver, and three bronze medals. The Nations League, which has been played since 2018, is the younger sister of the former World League. Polish volleyball players have won the "World League" only once before, in 2012.

It's worth noting that the bronze medals at the 2025 VNL were won by Brazil. Brazil, defeated by Poland 3-0 in the semifinals, defeated Slovenia – the tournament's surprise – in four sets in Sunday's third-place match. The Slovenians were able to defeat the two-time Olympic champions and defending VNL 2024 champions, France, in the quarterfinals. As you can see, a lot happened in the Chinese Final Eight.

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