The Polish men’s volleyball team suffered a narrow defeat against Japan, losing 2-3 (25:23, 20:25, 19:25, 25:23, 15:17) in Gdańsk on Saturday. This match, part of Poland’s final preparations for the Paris Olympic Games set to begin next week, highlighted both strengths and areas needing improvement for the team.
The friendly match became crucial practice after the Serbian team, originally scheduled to participate, faced logistical issues preventing their arrival. Despite this setback, the Polish team managed to secure two friendly matches. Poland started strong, with Leon leading the charge in the first set, helping the team win 25-23.
The second and third sets saw Japan exploiting Polish defensive weaknesses and showcasing their serving prowess, particularly in the third set where they scored six aces. Despite a tense moment in the fourth set when Japanese player Kentaro Takahashi suffered a head injury, the Polish team rallied, improving their reception and service to win the set 25-23 and force a tie-break.
In the decisive tie-break, both teams exchanged points fiercely. Captain Bartosz Kurek made significant contributions, but Japan ultimately emerged victorious, clinching the final set 17-15.
Reprezentacja Polski po tie-breaku przegrywa z Japonią w pierwszym meczu towarzyskim rozgrywanym w ERGO ARENIE w Gdańsku ❗️
— POLSKA SIATKÓWKA (@PolskaSiatkowka) July 20, 2024
Widzimy się jutro podczas spotkania Polska-USA 💪
Polska-Japonia 2️⃣:3️⃣ (25-23; 20-25; 19-25; 25-23; 15-17) pic.twitter.com/Xcz2Wkyu39
Poland – Japan 2:3 (25:23, 20:25, 19:25, 25:23, 15:17)