Ningbo, China – Poland booked their place in the men's Volleyball Nations League semi-finals on Thursday with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Ukraine (25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17) at the Ningbo Beilun Sports Arena in front of 3,491 spectators.
The win sets up a semi-final clash with the United States, who earlier eliminated Italy in straight sets. Poland, under head coach Nikola Grbić, demonstrated their championship pedigree by overpowering a determined Ukrainian side that refused to go quietly.
Bartosz Bołądź was the standout performer for the Polish side, delivering a match-high 24 points with an exceptional 66% success rate in attack. The opposite hitter also contributed five blocks, providing a decisive presence at the net throughout the contest. Wilfredo Leon added 16 points and two aces, while Poland collectively registered 14 blocks — a key statistical advantage over their opponents.
"We knew Ukraine would be dangerous," said Grbić. "They have quality players and this was their first VNL Finals appearance. The key was our blocking game and we executed that well in the third and fourth sets."
Ukraine, making their debut in the VNL knockout stage, showed no signs of intimidation in the opening sets. After dropping the first set 25-22, they responded impressively to level the match at 1-1, taking the second set 25-22. Dmytro Yanchuk and Vasyl Tupchii led the Ukrainian charge, finishing with 12 and 13 points respectively.
However, Poland's superior depth and experience told in the third and fourth sets. After claiming the third 25-20, the European powerhouse dominated the fourth 25-17, with Bołądź continuing to find gaps in the Ukrainian block and Leon's serving causing constant problems in reception.
Yurii Semeniuk added 10 points for Ukraine but captain Oleh Plotnytskyi endured a difficult afternoon, managing only 6 points at 32% in attack. Ukraine finished with 7 blocks and 3 aces against Poland's 14 and 4 respectively. The match lasted one hour and 40 minutes.
Poland now turn their attention to a United States side that swept Italy aside in the earlier quarter-final. The semi-final will determine who advances to contest the VNL 2026 title match.
Sources
- https://www.volleyball.it/2026/07/30/notizie/argomenti/vnl-maschile/articolo/vnl-finals-la-polonia-conquista-il-pass-per-la-semifinale-3-1-allucraina.html
