Poland Begins Volleyball Nations League Title Defense Against Ukraine

The Polish men's national volleyball team is set to defend its Volleyball Nations League (VNL) title, commencing its campaign on Thursday. The team arrives in Ningbo, China, as the reigning champions, having defeated Italy in straight sets in the previous year's final.

Their opening match pits them against Ukraine, a team led by former Polish national coach Raul Lozano. While Poland is considered the clear favorite, Ukraine has shown the ability to challenge them, having led 2-0 in a previous encounter during the VNL's preliminary round before Poland mounted a comeback victory. That match marked the beginning of a nine-game winning streak for Poland, who finished the preliminary round second in the standings behind Japan.

Coach Nikola Grbić has brought a squad of 15 players to China, with the team having arrived early to acclimatize. Notably absent from the lineup is Jakub Kochanowski, who is recovering from an injury. The VNL serves as a crucial tune-up for the European Championships in September, where Poland will also be defending their title.

Poland's group in the European Championships will include Portugal, Israel, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, with matches taking place in Sofia. Grbić expressed the team's eagerness to compete, stating, "We can't wait for the first match. We are tired of so much free time, as we train only once a day for an hour and a half. When the tournament starts, I hope we will play three matches in four days."

Should Poland advance past Ukraine, they are slated to face the winner of the Slovenia-Turkey quarterfinal in the semifinals. The other quarterfinal pairings are Japan vs. China and Italy vs. USA, with the final scheduled for Sunday.

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Nie możemy doczekać się już pierwszego spotkania. Jak na razie jesteśmy zmęczeni tak dużą ilością czasu wolnego, bo trenujemy raz dziennie po półtorej godziny. Gdy turniej już ruszy, to mam nadzieję, że będziemy mieli do rozegrania trzy mecze w cztery dni.