Five reasons why the Polish national volleyball team will stand on the podium of the European Championship

Since the beginning of 2022, the coach of the Polish women’s national volleyball team has been coach Stefano Lavarini. The Italian, after a promising performance at the 2022 World Cup, where the Poles entered the top eight teams in the world, followed the blow. Then Biala-Chervone lost to the Serbs (2:3), later world champions. But despite this result, the Polish team went their own way.

The victory at the intercontinental stage of the League of Nations, followed by the bronze medals of the GNP, only confirmed the opinion of observers that Polish women can achieve great results. We have selected five arguments in favor of believing that Biala Cervone will rise to the podium of the tournament during EURO 2023. In the sphere of dreams, I’ll add, for now with a pencil, that with a good arrangement of stars in the sky (read above the grid), it can eventually play for gold.

1. Philosophy of the Polish national team according to Stefano Lavarini

It seems obvious, but after a few unnecessary years of stagnation, the volleyball team is off to a good start. It turned out that, just like the men’s team, the women’s team can also achieve results that allow them to collect more and more arguments to fight the best. This is largely the merit of coach Lavarini, who made the members of our team believe that nothing is impossible.

“I’m not worried about the championship, I see it as a challenge. In general, it is difficult to talk about fears in the context of volleyball. They can be obtained in everyday life. I treat everything in volleyball as a challenge. At the moment, this is the best preparation for the team to start the fight in Belgium. I haven’t thought about the composition yet. There will be time for that next week, the Italian coach Bialo-Chervona said after a sparring with the Turks for Vprost.

A challenge, step by step, but always in the right direction. It seems to be a direction that gives additional motivation. To achieve better and better results, as in the case of VNL 2023, with places on the podium. And we played with the Turks, as in a battle between two great teams, knowing their arguments. The Poles once again showed that they treat their favorites without respect.

2. Agnieszka Korneluk, or “return” in a big way

In mid-May of this year at Wprost, we asked one of the most experienced volleyball players on the Lavarini team what to expect from the 2023 season. It is now known that Agnieszka Korneliuk - after all, we are talking about her - knew what she was talking about. Having strong faith in the work that the employees have done and are doing. Keeping in mind that modesty should still be one of the main characteristics of the team.

“We have to focus on the here and now. You have to use it correctly every day so that you don’t have anything to complain about later. This is my approach. The Olympics and participation in this most important event for every athlete have almost forever remained on the list of my dreams. Previously, this seemed unattainable for our team. Now this road is still difficult, but more real. The very prospect of a goal that can be achieved is the biggest motivation in the context of the entire season and the fight for tickets to the Olympic Games, Kornelyuk said.

The volleyball player herself became a real fear of rivals during the VNL 2023. Her performances in the block, as well as an effective game in attack, allowed, among other things, to deal with Katarzyna Venerska, a quarterback, but also to believe Kornelyuk herself, what she is capable of. And this is also in a fight with the giants of the volleyball team.

3. Unfortunately Magdalena Stisyak

Replaced in all cases by the offensive leader of the Whites and Reds. It is hard to believe that in December 2023 he will be only 23 years old. Stysiak, like Kornelyuk among the blockers, dominated the League of Nations rankings, only in terms of points scored. However, it is valuable that the attacker not only maintains a high level in the offensive, but also adds a lot, for example. in the defensive actions of the team.

“I think we are finally successful. We have accumulated a lot of experience in recent years. We have a different mentality than before. This was evident in the match balls for the Americans during the bronze medal tie-break. We did not hold hands, we were not afraid that we were at the climax of such an important meeting. The medal is a lesson for the future that we can win even more,” said Stysiak for Wprost in an interview with Michal Viniarczyk.

Having a leader who you can trust with the most difficult balls - like many years ago, for example. Malgorzata Glinka Mogentale or Katarzyna Skowronska - the Polish team can compete with the best. Although this will not be something indicative, the teammates need Stysiak no less than the friends of our attacker. Act as one organism.

4. A significant return to the team of Joanna Volosh

Step by step, the above-mentioned Katarzyna Wienerska earned a place in the national team, as one of the two behind the “wheel” of the team. The full-length VNL 2023 made it possible, no matter how it sounds, to forget about Ioann Volosh for a moment. Although an experienced volleyball player is a sport class in her own right, Venerska has endured the weight of responsibility and completed the tasks assigned to her by Lavarini.

“Those are two different quarterbacks. Volosh is a virtuoso, the one who can create the way the national team will play. This is due to the great experience of playing for high goals, in the best league. Of course, I do not include Venus here. She’s a different quarterback. Calm, realizing the pre-match assumptions set by the coach. In addition, she is very neat and calm - this is how Dorota Svenevich described the representative Wprost quarterbacks.

After the return of Volosh, the Polish team will again become a mystery. Mostly for rivals who can watch the Poles play during the VNL, but then Venerska was in charge. Volosh returned for a three-match sparring with Turkey. It was obvious that it took some time to fully understand some of my friends. But Volosh’s experience, reinforced by the entry of Venerska (including solid double shifts in the company with Monika Galkovskaya), can give very good results for Byalo-Chervoni.

5. Thirst for another medal - this time after a 14-year hiatus

The counter of the lack of medals among Polish volleyball players has been ticking for years. As for bronze, the Polish women of the VNL closed a medal gap that had lasted 55 years. It was then that the last time there was an opportunity to see the Polish team on the podium of the world event. It was the Olympic Games in … 1968. Then the Poles took third place.

In the case of ME 2023, there is another possibility, this time to erase the result that has been accumulating for 14 years. Because it was in 2009 that the last time Polish women stood on the podium in the fight for the title of the best team in the Old Continent.

Also, remember that there is still a lot of work ahead. Let’s vote for Svenevich again.

“We understand that we still need ranking points. We must win every tournament from start to finish. And that’s valuable too. I really liked that our representatives do not look too far into the future. Day after day, adding more and more positive results to the final success, he was recognized as the MVP of the 2005 European Golden Championship.

We add one more medal, gain rating points and … continue to fight for our dreams. And they can be completed next year, which is what we wish our team. As well as entrance tickets to IO 2024, for which the Poles will fight in September in Lodz. Let’s be filled with optimism after the recent events with ME.