Polish volleyball players started this year’s League of Nations well. Although the French set tough conditions, and the white-reds at one point struggled with a huge crisis, Nikola Grbic’s volleyball players ended up leaving the court with smiles on their lips.
Thousands of spectators were waiting for the start of the volleyball competition. Although a reserve squad flew to Nagoya in Japan, a good game could be expected. At the opening of the League of Nations-2023, Nikola Grbic’s volleyball players beat the French Olympic champions with a score of 3:1 (25:23, 18:25, 35:33, 25:15).
Equal Opening Tournament
At first, we saw a smooth start to the match. Both teams flew to Japan with reserve squads, giving a chance to young players and those who do not have a reliable place in the squad. After a few minutes of point-by-point play, the Poles seized the initiative. They jumped up a few points, creating a safe lead. It was not possible to keep it, because the French fixed the series, equalizing the score at 17:17. The game was even until the end of the set. There was a moment when the rivals seized the lead for a moment, but in the end, after Tricolors’ mistakes and an excellent block by Karol Butrin, the Poles won the first set 25:23.
The second set began under the same circumstances as the first. The fans gathered in the hall witnessed the exchange of individual actions of both teams. The fact that it could be called a repetition of the first set is evidenced by the fact that around the 15th point, the French again caught the wind in their sails, took the lead, and then took the lead. They increased them, although both players Andrea Giani and Nikola Grbic messed up the slimes en masse. At some point, the Poles lost distance with their rivals, which allowed them to do more. Olympic champions from Tokyo won the game with a score of 25:18.
The Poles have returned from a huge crisis
A painfully lost set infuriated the white-reds. Fortunately, the Poles quickly built up an advantage in the next game. They took advantage of a series of French mistakes that gave them a four-point lead by the half of the set. The gap grew and grew until the score was 19:10, when the rivals began to catch up. They caught a phenomenal streak that eventually led to a 20:20 draw. The Poles caught a huge drop in performance, although they kept the score in the end. Unexpectedly, the first set-ball went to the French. After that, an incredibly long game with an advantage was required. Initially, the Poles defended setballs, but over time they gained an advantage. In the end, they won the set 35:33 thanks to two excellent blocks from Kamil Semenyuk.
In the fourth installment, the French also differed significantly from the Poles at first. Volleyball players from Grbita took the lead by a few points, but, unlike the previous game, did not lose concentration. Throughout the set, they maintained an advantage over the French in 3-4 points. They stubbornly tried to finish the match without a tie-break. They did not extend a helping hand to their opponents, increasing their advantage. In the end, they won 25:15, strongly denoting their dominance and victory in the match.
Poland will face Iran
The most productive player of the Polish national team in the match was Karol Butrin (25 points). In the next match (Thursday, June 8, 11:00 am), Nikola Grbic’s men will face Iran.
Source: Wprost
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