In a remarkable display of away team dominance, BOGDANKA LUK Lublin and PGE Projekt Warsaw both claimed straight-set victories in their respective Polish PlusLiga playoff matches on Wednesday.
Lublin took a commanding lead in the best-of-five championship series, dispatching Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21). Outside hitter Mikolaj Sawicki delivered an MVP performance with 20 points, including 15 kills at an impressive 65% success rate, three aces, and two blocks. Wilfredo Leon contributed 13 points with three aces, while Kewin Sasak matched Leon's total with 13 points of his own, including one ace and one block.
For the home side, Bartosz Kwolek led Aluron with 11 points (including two aces and two blocks), while American opposite Kyle Ensing added 10 points with two blocks.
Despite the defeat, Aluron's Portuguese setter Miguel Tavares remained optimistic: "Тhey had their moments and we had ours. We didn't use them and that made the difference... It's not over until the last ball hits the floor. We keep our heads up and keep fighting."
In the battle for third place, PGE Projekt Warsaw stunned last year's champions and regular season winners Jastrzebski Wegiel with an identical 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) scoreline on the road. German opposite Linus Weber claimed MVP honors with a match-high 17 points, including three aces, one block, and 13 attack points at 59% efficiency. Jastrzebski's Lukasz Kaczmarek was the only other player to reach double figures with 11 points.
Statbet analysis indicates that teams winning the first match in best-of-five volleyball playoff series historically advance over 70% of the time, putting both Lublin and Warsaw in advantageous positions.
Volleyball fans can look forward to the second championship playoff match this Saturday, May 3, in Lublin, while the next bronze medal series encounter takes place Sunday, May 4, in Warsaw. Both visiting teams will be looking to capitalize on their momentum, while the home sides face must-win situations to keep their title hopes alive.
