Defending champions Poland advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 European Volleyball Championship with a commanding 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-17) victory over Germany at Arena 8888 in Sofia on Tuesday night.
Wilfredo León led the Polish attack with a match-high 17 points, while Bartłomiej Bołądź contributed 13 as Nikola Grbić's side recorded their sixth straight-set win in seven matches at the tournament. Poland's only defeat came in a five-set group-stage loss to Bulgaria, but they have been ruthless ever since.
Germany kept the opening set tight and trailed by just two points at 23-21, but Poland's experience told as they closed out the set 25-23. The second set was more one-sided: Poland controlled the tempo from the service line and at the net, restricting Germany's options and racing to a 25-17 win.
The third set followed a similar pattern. Germany briefly held an early advantage, but Poland recovered quickly and pulled away to seal the match 25-17, booking their place in the last four without dropping a single set.
Poland have now reached the semifinals at 10 consecutive major international tournaments and four successive European Championships. They won bronze in 2019 and 2021 before claiming gold in 2023 with a 3-0 victory over Italy in Rome.
Germany, chasing their first European title, saw their campaign end in Sofia. Their best result at a European Championship came in 2017, when they lost to Russia in a five-set final.
Poland will face either Slovenia or Belgium in Friday's semifinal in Milan. Slovenia and Belgium meet in their own quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Sources
https://tvpworld.com/95529430/eurovolley-poland-beat-germany-30-to-reach-semis https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7790/Artykul/3734317,poland-reach-european-volleyball-semifinals-with-30-win-over-germany
