Thrilling Five-Set Battles Determined Polish Finalists

The weekend delivered thrilling volleyball action across Europe as the #CLVolleyM semifinalists continued their journey in domestic competitions. In Poland, the decisive third-leg semifinal matches saw one #CLVolleyM contender, Zawiercie, secure a ticket to the finals, while Jastrzębski bowed out after a dramatic five-set loss. Meanwhile, Trentino in Italy and CEV Cup champions Ziraat in Türkiye took strong wins in their respective final series.

In Poland, one of the CEV Champions League Volley semifinalists Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and PGE Projekt Warszawa clashed once again in a thrilling battle for a place in the PlusLiga final. As both of the previous matches had gone to five sets, fans anticipated another marathon—and they were not disappointed. After trading sets and pushing the match to a decisive tie-break, Zawiercie held their nerve to close the match with a 16-14 victory, earning a 3-2 win (25-19, 21-25, 21-25, 25-19, 16-14) and securing their spot in the championship round.

Polish outside hitter Patryk Łaba earned MVP honors for his impactful 10-point contribution, while Bartosz Kwolek powered the offense with 19 points. Despite a spectacular performance by German opposite Linus Weber, who scored an outstanding 31 points for Warszawa, it wasn’t enough to stop Zawiercie’s historic run to the final.

The other semifinal saw Jastrzębski Węgiel host Bogdanka LUK Lublin in a gripping contest that swung back and forth. Both teams demonstrated resilience, taking the match into a fifth set after splitting the first four. In the decider, Lublin seized the momentum early and never looked back, stunning Jastrzębski with a 15-9 finish to win 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 23-25, 15-9) and eliminate the defending PlusLiga champions.

Polish opposite Kewin Sasak led the way for Lublin with 22 points, including a remarkable five blocks, and was named the MVP of the match. Wilfredo León fought hard with a 19-point effort, including six aces, while Tomasz Fornal’s 28 points for Jastrzębski, featuring seven aces and four blocks, ultimately proved insufficient. The PlusLiga final series will kick off on April 30.

Elsewhere, domestic final action heated up. In Italy, Itas Trentino began the SuperLega final with a dominant 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) over Cucine Lube Civitanova, setting the tone for the series. Meanwhile, in Türkiye, Ziraat Bankası Ankara took a 2-0 lead in the Efeler League finals by defeating Galatasaray HDI Istanbul 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 23-25, 27-25) in a hard-fought match, especially during a thrilling fourth set.

With finals now set in Poland and fierce battles continuing elsewhere, the excitement around the #CLVolleyM semifinalists continues to build as they balance domestic glory and continental ambitions.