Poland’s volleyball players became Nations League champions for the third time in their history, defeating the United States 3:2 in Sunday’s final in a match that went the distance. The sets ended 25:21, 23:25, 25:27, 25:23 and 15:10.
Sunday’s triumph gave Poland three VNL titles in total. A year ago they beat Italy in the final, and three years earlier in Gdańsk they defeated the United States 3:1 to claim the gold medal. The Americans, meanwhile, have now lost all four Nations League finals they have played.
Earlier in this edition, both teams met in the last group-stage match in Chicago, with Poland winning 3:0. In the bronze-medal game, Slovenia beat Japan 3:1 (25:21, 26:28, 25:22, 25:22).
Road to the final
Poland reached the title match after a convincing run. They won 10 of 12 group-stage matches and finished second in the 18-team table. In the playoffs, they first eliminated Ukraine 3:1, then swept Slovenia 3:0 in the semifinals.
Praise at home and a ranking lead
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was quick to congratulate the team. He wrote on social media that Tomek Fornal’s motivational speech probably made the difference.
– Gold of the Nations League for our volleyball players! Apparently Tomek Fornal’s motivational speech decided. As if I could hear it. Bravo! – wrote Donald Tusk.
President Karol Nawrocki also addressed the players.
– I congratulate the Polish volleyball national team on another Nations League triumph! You showed character, turned the final around and proved that you never give up fighting – wrote Karol Nawrocki on X.
Poland’s victory also had historical weight. By winning the VNL for the second year in a row, they repeated the achievement of Russia, who had previously been the only team to defend the title in 2018-19. Poland also kept the top spot in the world ranking and increased their lead over second-placed Italy to 51.72 points.
Serbian coach Nikola Grbić has now led Poland to nine consecutive medals in international competitions, including four tournament victories. In the Nations League alone, Poland have collected gold in 2023, 2025 and 2026, silver in 2021, and bronze in 2019, 2022 and 2024.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
