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Poland are double world champions this millennium, with back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2018 - but surely an Olympic title at Tokyo 2020 is now needed to bring this generation of volleyball players on par with the country's legendary side that won the 1974 World Championship and capped that with gold at the Montreal 1976 Olympics.
But though they've dominated other international competitions, including a European Championship title in 2009 and a World League title in 2012, they've not been on an Olympic Games podium in 45 years.
Poland gave a preview of what they're capable of producing at the month-long 2021 Volleyball Nations League in May and June at Rimini.
They finished second in pool play on a 12-3 record, trailing only reigning Olympic champions Brazil (13-2) after losing to Slovenia, Brazil and France. But they avenged their defeat to Slovenia knocking out the VNL rookies in straight sets in the semifinals to set up a final against Brazil in what was a rematch of the last two World Championship finals.
It all started well for Poland, who opened up a one-set lead and challenged Brazil until almost the end of the second, but eventually they were let down by their attacking efficiency as a very solid Brazil cruised to victory.
It was surely a great show of power for Poland and they've had the time to tweak their play ahead of the Olympics as they try to avoid the performances at the last four editions.
On all four occasions they did well in making it out of pool play to reach the quarterfinals - but were eliminated every time and left out of the medals rounds: At Athens 2004 to Brazil (3-0), at Beijing 2008 to Italy (3-2), at London 2012 to Russia (3-0) and at Rio 2016 to USA (3-0).
Which just goes to show how critical that quarterfinal stage is at the Olympic Games.
This time round Poland need to make the top four of their pool which brings them up against Japan, Italy, Canada, Iran and Venezuela - but crucially also need to focus on whomever the quarterfinals throw at them.
And they certainly have the talent to do just that. Their roster for the Olympics reads like a veritable Who's Who of world volleyball: Bartosz Kurek (MVP, top scorer and most efficient blocker), Michal Kubiak, Piotr Nowakowski and Pawel Zatorski were all on the Dream Team of the last World Championship; Cuba-born Wilfredo Leon was on the Dream Team of the 2019 European Championship; and Aleksander Sliwka was named MVP of this year's Champions League for leading ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle to the title - just to mention a few.
Getting up on that podium at the Tokyo Olympics would be an essential element of an already amazing 21st century for Polish volleyball.
Full Olympic roster for Poland, under Belgian head coach Vital Heynen:
● Setters:
Fabian Drzyzga, Grzegorz Lomacz
● Opposites:
Lukasz Kaczmarek, Bartosz Kurek
● Outisde hitters:
Michal Kubiak, Wilfredo Leon, Kamil Semeniuk, Aleksander Sliwka
● Middle blockers:
Mateusz Bieniek, Jakub Kochanowski, Piotr Nowakowski
● Libero:
Pawel Zatorski