45-Year-Old Setter Wins MVP Award in a Polish PlusLiga Match
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45-year-old Jarosław Macionczyk played in the PlusLiga match in the team of the Polish champion and CEV Champions League finalist Jastrzębski Węgiel. He is the oldest player to play in an official match of the highest volleyball league in Poland.
Watch Jaztrzebski in the CEV Champions League Volley Quarterfinals
This unusual situation was caused by health problems in the Jastrzębski Węgiel team. The Polish champions entered Saturday's match weakened by the absence of both setters. Captain Benjamin Toniutti is struggling with a minor calf injury, while Latvian Edvins Skruders has hip problems. For this reason, both players had to take a break from the game.
On January 30, the club from Upper Silesia contracted 45-year-old Jarosław Macionczyk, who could help with training in Skruders' absence. When Macionczyk joined the team, the second setter also suffered an injury. Thus, he became the only healthy player in this position who could play in Saturday's Plusliga match against GKS Katowice.
Macionczyk was not an anonymous figure in PlusLiga. He played in it in the past, representing AZS PWSZ Nysa (2003-2005), Jadar Radom (2006-2010) and BBTS Bielsko-Biała (2017-2018). However, he spent most of his 27-year career playing in the 1. Division. Since June last year, he worked full-time in a forwarding company and only helped the BBTS Bielsko-Biała team in training.
After seven years, he got another chance to present himself to a larger audience and it was a successful comeback. The team under his leadership won the league match 3:1, and he received the MVP statuette as a reward.
Macionczyk„For me this is a crazy story. Maybe in time I will realize what happened. I treated the match against Katowice like any other, and I have played several hundred matches in my life. I tried to perform as best as I could for the good of the team and I succeeded”
Record holder for the oldest player who played in PlusLiga.
Before the match Macionczyk trained with the team for only four days. There wasn't much time to get along with the team. „From the first training session, I said that I would do everything to help this team. Either in training or, as it later turned out, also in the match. You don't say no to a club like Jastrzębski Węgiel. It is a recognized brand in Poland and Europe. And for me, the opportunity to be here is undoubtedly an honor” says Macionczyk.
The 45-year-old still has the opportunity to make his debut in the CEV Champions League. Jastrzębski Węgiel will face the Italian club Gas Sales Daiko PIACENZA in the quarterfinals of this competition. The first match will be held in Italy on February 21, while the return leg will be played a week later in Poland.