World No. 1 Poland flexed its pedigree with a dominant 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-14 victory over Canada, booking a spot in the quarterfinals of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite a brief second-set stumble, the Poles controlled the match from start to finish, moving closer to redemption after finishing as runners-up to Italy on home soil in 2022.
The win marks Poland’s fourth consecutive victory in as many games, a statement of intent from the reigning top-ranked team.
Kamil Semeniuk spearheaded Poland’s offense with 18 points, including 15 kills and three blocks. Meanwhile, skipper Bartosz Kurek and Wilfredo Leon contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively.
“This group is very aware of the challenge. We have smart, highly skilled players, including those who can make an impact off the bench,” said Kurek, who was rested in the final preliminary-round match to conserve energy for the playoffs.
“But we still need to adjust to the speed of play and adapt to new roles as we go deeper into the tournament. First, we have to stay healthy.”
Poland set the tone early, jumping to a 12-6 lead in the first set and cruising to a 25-18 opener.
Canada fought back in the second, eking out a 25-23 win after trailing 23-22, but that proved to be their only moment of resistance.
Poland quickly regained control, taking the third set 25-20 and closing out the match with a commanding 25-14 fourth set, highlighted by a 7-2 surge to start.
Across the bracket, World No. 14 Turkey made history by defeating No. 20 Netherlands, 27-29, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19, to reach its first-ever World Championship quarterfinals, surpassing its previous best finish of 11th place.
Adis Lagumdzija led the charge with 28 points, cementing Turkey’s emergence as a formidable contender.
Poland will now face Turkey on Wednesday in a tantalizing clash for a spot in the Final Four.
For Canada, Sharone Vernon-Evans and Jackson Young posted 23 and 12 points, respectively. Meanwhile, captain Nicholas Hoag managed only seven points.
The North Americans end their Round of 16 campaign following a second-place finish to Turkey in Pool G.
