The Poland women's national volleyball team defeated Slovenia 3-0 in their third group match at the European Volleyball Championship on Tuesday, bouncing back from a series of underwhelming performances.
Opposite hitter Magdalena Stysiak led the victory with 24 points, scoring nearly an entire set's worth of points on her own as Poland delivered a significantly improved performance following a sluggish start to the tournament.
The victory came 24 hours after Poland struggled through a four-set match against lower-ranked Latvia. Poland had opened their group stage campaign with a 3-0 victory over Hungary before dropping a set in a 3-1 win over Latvia on Monday, leaving players and coaching staff dissatisfied with their form.
Following the match against Latvia, middle blocker Magdalena Jurczyk said that it was hard to say anything constructive immediately after the game because the performance had been simply bad. She stated that the squad suffered from poor attacking choices, particularly during the second set, and warned that they needed an honest internal discussion to draw conclusions if they hoped to progress in the tournament. Setter Alicja Grabka expressed hope that the difficult match was merely the single poor performance that typically occurs during a major tournament, noting that success is often born through struggles.
Rebound against Slovenia
Poland, ranked fifth in the FIVB world rankings, entered Tuesday's match needing to re-establish their form against an 18th-ranked Slovenian side that had never previously won a single set against Poland in a competitive match. However, Slovenia had built momentum earlier in the tournament by unexpectedly defeating Germany 3-0 and taking a set off third-ranked Turkey in a 3-1 loss, while Hungary and Latvia both entered the competition ranked outside the top 60 in the world.
Poland showed intent from the start on Tuesday, improving in every element of play while benefiting from crucial moments of good fortune. During the first set, Stysiak kept a rally alive by kicking the ball with her foot, allowing Jurczyk to score a point off her arm despite being late to set the block. Jurczyk was visibly surprised by the outcome and covered her mouth with her hands.
Slovenia found themselves helpless during the opening set as Poland controlled the tempo. The imbalance prompted Slovenia head coach Alessandro Orefice to call a timeout and appeal to his players to start playing volleyball, mirroring a similar speech given by Polish head coach Stefano Lavarini to his own team 24 hours earlier.
Stysiak leads second-set turnaround
Slovenia mounted a stronger challenge in the second set, led by Gambian-born hitter Fatoumatta Sillah. Slovenia built a six-point lead at 14-8, causing visible frustration for Italian head coach Stefano Lavarini on the Polish sideline. Lavarini, who usually watches matches with calm, spread his arms in frustration over a lack of defensive coverage, turned his gaze away when a player made an unforced error in an easy situation, and gestured during the third set.
Poland responded with a composed comeback driven by team-wide contributions. Outside hitter Julita Piasecka recovered from initial attacking struggles, having failed to convert any of her four attempts in the opening set, to make a difference through net vigilance and key points. Monika Lampkowska maintained her consistent offensive form, continuing her strong tournament performances.
Stysiak proved decisive during the final stretch of the second set. With Slovenia holding set point at 23-24, Stysiak delivered a powerful spike that struck Slovenian star player Masa Pucelj in the face to equalize. Stysiak immediately ran over to apologize to Pucelj before helping Poland secure the set and complete the straight-sets victory.
Tournament outlook and upcoming fixtures
Stysiak's 24-point display marked a return to form for the opposite hitter, who has historically served as Poland's reliable leader in high-stakes matches but had faced criticism over her condition in recent major tournaments. The victory allowed Poland to steady their tournament campaign following two unsettling performances.
The European Volleyball Championship, organized by the European Volleyball Confederation, brings together top national teams across the continent in a group phase followed by knockout rounds. Following Tuesday's win, Poland will have a rest day before concluding their group stage fixtures with matches against Germany and defending European champions Turkey.
