Poland produced a remarkable comeback in Doha on Tuesday, recovering from two sets down to beat Turkey 3-2 in the Under-17 Volleyball World Championship.
The 22:25, 25:27, 25:20, 25:22, 15:9 victory secured the Polish squad a spot in the tournament quarterfinals after a grueling round of 16 encounter.
Poland had entered the knockout stage as pre-match favorites following a solid group phase performance. The team recorded two victories and one defeat in the initial stage, beating Argentina without major difficulty, losing a five-set thriller to Brazil, and overcoming Mexico in four sets. Turkey qualified with just one three-set win over Spain, alongside a 2-3 defeat to Egypt and a 1-3 loss against Bulgaria.
Early Turkish momentum
Despite Poland's status as favorites, the crowd inside the Doha arena firmly backed Turkey. Loud support from Bosphorus fans resonated throughout the venue, energizing the Turkish players on the court.
Poland initially established control in the opening set, with Jan Woźniak and Oktawian Nowak delivering consistent scoring. However, after Poland opened up a 5:0 lead, Turkey responded forcefully. Kuzey Kaan Koc led the Turkish attack by scoring eight points. Turkey erased the gap to tie the set at 13:13 before pulling ahead late to capture the set 25:22.
The second set featured tighter, back-and-forth play. Łukasz Małek anchored the Polish reception, while Kevin Posłuszny and Bartosz Nowak spearheaded the attack. Turkey countered through Doruk Aras Menemen and Yusuf Deniz Tirpanci. Poland earned two set points, but failed to convert them as Turkey claimed the extra-points set 27:25 to build a two-set lead.
Polish set revival
Facing elimination, Poland made a fast start in the third set, storming to a 10:4 lead behind strong performances from Wiktor Cimoch and Waldemar Pyżanowski. Unlike the opening set, the Polish side maintained their six-point cushion without fading, closing out the set 25:20 to stay alive in the match.
Turkey started the fourth set brightly, but Poland erased a two-point deficit to take a 14:10 advantage. Woźniak regained his scoring form alongside Cimoch and Bartosz Nowak. Attila Selim Kose emerged as a major net threat for Turkey, but Poland held firm to win the set 25:22 and force a decisive fifth set.
Deciding tie-break victory
Pyżanowski opened the tie-break with a successful spike, setting the tone as Poland's defensive block began dominating at the net. The Polish players celebrated enthusiastically after every point. When Cimoch hit a cross-court winner to make it 5:3, the Turkish coach called a timeout to halt the momentum.
The timeout failed to disrupt Poland, who extended their lead to four points. Menemen kept Turkey in contention with late attack points, but Aleksander Król delivered a key ace off the net tape to claim Poland's 11th point. The Polish team then closed out the decider 15:9 to complete the comeback.
Quarterfinal matchup with Argentina
Doha, the capital city of Qatar, is hosting the youth tournament under the auspices of FIVB, volleyball's international governing body. In international sport, Polish national teams are known as the White-and-Reds after their national colors, while Argentina's teams carry the nickname Albicelestes in reference to their sky-blue and white attire.
Poland will face Argentina in the quarterfinals, setting up a rematch of their group phase clash. In group play, Poland defeated Argentina 3-0. Argentina reached the last eight by defeating Italy 3-1 in their round of 16 match, following a group stage where they beat Mexico 3-0 and fell 0-3 to Brazil.
