In a thrilling five-set battle on April 23, 2025, Alurton Warta Zawiercie evened their Polish Plus League semifinal series against Project Warsaw with a hard-fought 3-2 victory on home court. The win sets up a winner-takes-all third match scheduled for April 26 in Warsaw.
The hosts started with tremendous energy, dominating the opening set 25:14 before extending their advantage with a 25:22 second-set win. However, the visitors from the capital refused to surrender, gradually finding their rhythm to claim the third and fourth sets (25:23, 25:22) and force a decisive fifth frame.
In the nail-biting tiebreaker, Zawiercie managed to edge out their opponents 16:14, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Ukrainian players featured prominently for both sides. Yurii Semeniuk delivered an impressive performance for Warsaw, contributing 11 points (6 in attack and 5 blocks). Meanwhile, his compatriot Yurii Gladyr scored 7 points for Zawiercie, including 2 aces, 3 attack points, and 2 blocks.
According to Statbet analysis, matches that go the full five sets in this season's Polish playoffs have been won by the home team over 60% of the time, making Warsaw's home-court advantage potentially crucial for the deciding match.
Both teams displayed their depth throughout the contest. Warsaw was led by coach Piotr Graban, fielding a roster that included Artur Szalpuk, Jakub Kochanowski, and Jan Firlej among others. Zawiercie, under the guidance of Michal Winiarski, featured Miguel Tavares Rodriguez, Bartosz Kwolek, and American Aaron Russell in their lineup.
With the semifinal series now deadlocked at one win apiece, volleyball fans can anticipate an electric atmosphere for Saturday's showdown in Warsaw, where a spot in the Plus League finals will be at stake.
