The Polish PlusLiga semifinal playoffs have been pushed to decisive third matches after both trailing teams mounted impressive comebacks on Wednesday evening. Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj successfully leveled their respective series against PGE Projekt Warsaw and BOGDANKA LUK Lublin, setting up thrilling Saturday showdowns.
In a nail-biting encounter, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie overcame PGE Projekt Warsaw in a five-set thriller that went down to the wire. After building a commanding two-set lead, Aluron saw their advantage disappear when the visitors from Warsaw fought back to force a deciding set. With the tie-breaker poised at 14-14, Aluron's middle blockers made the difference as Mateusz Bieniek delivered a decisive swing followed by Ukraine's Yuriy Gladyr's match-winning block to secure a 3-2 victory (25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 22-25, 16-14).
Bartosz Kwolek from Aluron and Projekt's German opposite Linus Weber shared top scoring honors with 18 points each. American outside hitter Aaron Russell contributed significantly with 16 points for the winning side. Portuguese setter Miguel Tavares, who earned MVP recognition, expressed his emotions after the match: "It was a crazy match. We never stopped believing. Even when it seemed like it was impossible, we still believed. We had a lot of courage in attack and in serving and I think that made the difference at the end."
In the other semifinal matchup, defending champions Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj bounced back from their surprising home defeat to overcome BOGDANKA LUK Lublin on the road. They secured a 3-1 victory (31-29, 15-25, 25-20, 25-22), effectively returning the favor to their opponents.
According to Statbet analytics, these high-pressure playoff matches demonstrate why Polish volleyball continues to be rated among the most competitive leagues in Europe, with narrow margins often deciding crucial encounters.
Jastrzebski's opposite Lukasz Kaczmarek led his team with 18 points, attacking with an impressive 65% success rate and earning MVP honors. Lublin's star outside hitter Wilfredo Leon topped all scorers with 20 points, including three aces and three blocks, but his efforts weren't enough to secure victory.
The decisive third matches are scheduled for Saturday, April 26. Jastrzebski Wegiel will face BOGDANKA LUK Lublin at 14:45 local time (12:45 UTC), while PGE Projekt Warsaw will host Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie at 17:30 local time (15:30 UTC), with both teams vying for coveted spots in the PlusLiga finals.
