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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Volleyball devider Poland downs Czechia for bronze in FIVB Worlds

Poland downs Czechia for bronze in FIVB Worlds

Published Sep 28, 2025 05:08 pm

At A Glance

  • World No. 1 Poland closed out its campaign at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship with a bronze medal after edging Czechia, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, Sept. 28.
Members of Team Poland pose with their bronze medals in the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship. (Santi San Juan)
Members of Team Poland pose with their bronze medals in the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship. (Santi San Juan)
World No. 1 Poland closed out its campaign at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship with a bronze medal after edging Czechia, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, Sept. 28.
Despite suffering a heartbreaking three-set semifinal loss to rival Italy the night before, the Polish spikers returned to the court with determination, aiming for a fourth consecutive podium finish.
They won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2018, then settled for runner-up honors to Italy in 2022.
Though they fell short of matching or surpassing their previous achievement, Poland coach Nikola Grbic praised the efforts of his stalwarts -- especially for how they bounced back from the painful semifinal loss.
“I’m proud of these guys because we were devastated yesterday because of the expectations from us. We know how hard we work and how important it is for us to play another final, so coming back from that tough loss wasn’t easy,” Grbic said.
“I have great guys, I’m proud of them and we’ll make sure to continue to come back to Poland with a medal,” he added.
Wilfredo Leon led Poland with another standout performance, delivering 26 points off 23 kills and three blocks. Kewin Sasak added 11 points, including eight attacks.
Despite falling short of the final, Poland turned in a strong campaign -- sweeping Pool B with wins over Romania, Qatar, and the Netherlands in the classification stage, then defeating Canada in four sets in the Round of 16 and Turkey in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
It was also an impressive achievement for Czechia, which played in its first bronze-medal match since its predecessor, Czechoslovakia, fell to Japan in the 1970 edition.
Czechia’s historic run included victories over Serbia and China, with a lone loss to Brazil to finish second in Pool H. They then outplayed Tunisia in the Round of 16 and upset Iran in the quarterfinals, before falling to Bulgaria in four sets in the semifinals.
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