France defeats Poland in a gripping Volleyball Nations League semi-final, advancing to the grand finale.
Poland’s men’s volleyball team, under the guidance of coach Nikola Grbić, faced off against France in the first semi-final of the Volleyball Nations League. The Polish team started strong, securing the first set and raising hopes for a victory. Poland – France 2-3 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 16-18)
In a surprising move, Bartosz Bołądź replaced the experienced Bartosz Kurek in the starting six, following Kurek’s slow start in the quarter-final against Brazil. Bołądź, from Projekt Warszawa, impressed with his dynamism and quickly became a strong point for the Polish team. Grbić also included Norbert Huber and deployed Jakub Popiwczak as libero. The first set hinted at an easy win for the hosts, despite some errors and lengthy video reviews slowing the game down.
Despite Poland’s initial dominance, the second set saw a strong comeback from France, led by Earvin N’Gapeth. The French team leveled the match, and the third set continued to be challenging for Poland. Substitutes Bartosz Bednorz and Łukasz Kaczmarek provided a spark, but France narrowly won the third set as well.
Nail-Biting Tie-Breaker
Every set in this semi-final was a unique story. Poland managed to push the match to a tie-breaker after a thrilling fourth set. The final set was a nerve-wracking battle, with both teams fiercely contesting every point. Poland had match points but ultimately, France emerged victorious, securing their place in the grand finale.
In the other semi-final, Japan will face Slovenia. The medal matches will take place on Sunday, with the bronze match at 5 PM and the gold match at 8 PM.