Poland beats Ukraine 3-1 to reach VNL semifinals, Bołądź scores 24 points

Match overview

Poland defeated Ukraine 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17) in the Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals in Ningbo, China, on Thursday. Coached by Nikola Grbić, the defending champions entered as the top-ranked team in the FIVB world rankings and finished the preliminary phase in second place. Ukraine, making their first-ever VNL playoff appearance after qualifying seventh, had already beaten Italy and Brazil earlier in the tournament. Poland started strongly but Ukraine's aggressive serving, especially from Dmytro Yanchuk, disrupted the Polish reception and helped the underdogs level the match by taking the second set. Poland responded by tightening their block and improving their attacking efficiency, winning the next two sets convincingly. The block proved decisive: Poland outblocked Ukraine 14-7, with middle blocker Bartłomiej Lemański noting the improvement after the second set.

Key performers

Bartłomiej Bołądź led all scorers with 24 points and was named player of the match. Wilfredo Leon contributed 16 points. For Ukraine, Vasyl Tupchii scored 13, Dmytro Yanchuk 12, and Yurii Semeniuk 10. Bołądź shouldered the attacking load in crucial moments, while Leon provided support from the wing.

Reactions

Polish receiver Tomasz Fornal admitted the team was nervous early on.

The most important thing is that we won. I think we were a bit nervous at the start of the match, but the most important thing is that it ended the way it did. We advanced to the semifinals, and winners aren't judged.

Bartłomiej Bołądź deflected individual praise and stressed the need for improvement.

I'm not a hero, the whole team deserved the win. We have to admit we didn't play at our level, but the win is what counts.

Bartłomiej Lemański credited Ukraine's serving for the lost set and praised Poland's response.

The guys from Ukraine showed off their serving in this match and that made the difference in the set we lost. Fortunately, in the next sets we managed to bounce back, we played a bit better in block and that brought results. The fourth set with a huge advantage, we executed and managed to finish the match smoothly.

Ukrainian opposite Vasyl Tupchii acknowledged Poland's strength and tipped them for the title.

Poland is a very strong team, playing really well in block. I think they can win the Nations League gold.

Polish setter Marcin Komeda said Ukraine's progress made them a difficult opponent.

The Ukrainians have made big progress in recent years. They are a very uncomfortable team. They are strong in offense, serving, generally in attack, which was visible today, especially in the first three sets where they served very hard.

Semifinal outlook

Poland will face Slovenia in the semifinal on Saturday, August 1, at 9:00 a.m. Polish time. Slovenia advanced by beating Turkey 3-0 in their quarterfinal. The other semifinal pits Japan against the United States, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Polish time. Japan, the only team to win all their preliminary phase matches, struggled against China in their quarterfinal, while the USA swept Italy 3-0. Fornal said the team would rest and prepare, acknowledging there is little time to change tactics before the Slovenia match.