World No.1 Poland continued its unstoppable run in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, dismantling No. 22 Qatar in straight sets, 25-21, 25-14, 25-19, to stay unbeaten and secure a spot in the Round of 16 on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Poland needed just 69 minutes to finish off the Qataris, riding a balanced attack led by Kamil Semeniuk, who poured in 13 points on 11 hits and added two aces.
The victory gave the Poles a 2-0 record in Pool B, following their 34-32, 25-15, 25-19 triumph over Romania.
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Superstars Wilfredo Leon and team captain Bartosz Kurek had limited roles, scoring seven points and seeing minimal court time, respectively. Still, Poland’s depth proved overwhelming, with VNL MVP Jacub Kochanowski and Kewin Sasak chipping in eight points each.
Marcin Comenda orchestrated the offense masterfully, delivering 27 sets for 37 attacks.
“The game was as expected. We wanted to raise the level, and we did. We didn’t have any big problems in the game,” Kochanowski said, seeking redemption after Poland’s runner-up finish to Italy at home in the 2022 World Championship.
Qatar, meanwhile, struggled to find answers. Papemaguette Diagne and Nikola Vasic led the team with eight points apiece, but the result left the Qataris winless at 0-2, joining Romania in exiting contention.
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Fellow Pool B powerhouse The Netherlands also remained unbeaten with a 25-23, 26-24, 26-24 sweep of Romania. The Dutch will clash with Poland for top seeding on Wednesday at 6:00 PM, while Romania and Qatar aim for a respectable exit at 10:30 AM.
Elsewhere, Turkey and Canada sealed top spots in Pool G with straight-set victories over Libya (25-18, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16) and Japan (25-20, 25-23, 25-22), respectively, ensuring their passage to the Round of 16.
The Canadian win also saw the early elimination of host crowd favorite Japan.
At the Mall of Asia Arena, USA (Pool D) and Bulgaria (Pool E) maintained perfect records. The Americans swept Portugal, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22, while Bulgaria survived a marathon five-set thriller against Slovenia, 25-19, 25-14, 18-25, 23-25, 15-13.
Cuba and Germany bounced back from earlier setbacks as well. The Cubans overpowered Colombia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, and Germany defeated Chile, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21, keeping both teams in the hunt for the next round.
