Champions League: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie join Perugia to final! Jastrzębski defeated after an epic comeback!

2 min read

17 May 2025 Ivan

What a day for Polish volleyball!
From an half disaster to glory: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie stun their compatriots Jastrzębski Węgiel in an exciting five-sets battle and, above all, they did it after breathtaking comeback to reach the CEV Champions League Men’s final for the very first time in club’s history.
And they did it in style!

The Polish superstar Tomasz Fornal, who announced that he will end his six-year stint at Jastrzębski after this Final Four, scored 10 points only in first set and was impossible to stop, while Łukasz Kaczmarek added two blocks for the runners-up in the past two seasons.
Aluron could not do much to weather the storm, as they had a 38% attacking efficiency, as opposed to a 50% efficiency for Jastrzębski, which easily took the first set with a clean 25:19.
Second set was similar and, down two sets and struggling to find their rhythm, Aluron looked out of the race.
However, led by a a strong performance from Bartosz Kwolek, who turned the tide in the third set, they started their way back into the match and, point by point, break by break, set by set, they leveled the score against a strong rival, forcing a deciding fifth set that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

The final set, without Norbert Huber, who received a ball in the face and was substituted out, was pure drama with lead changes, match points canceled in both sides and heart-stopping rallies.
But it was Aluron who emerged victorious, sealing a 22:20 win in the tie-break to complete a 3-2 upset also making club history!

“It is a historic moment for the club and a historic moment for all of us. We need to rest and go in the final with the same hunger,” said Aluron’s captain Mateusz Bieniek, after the fantastic comeback.

And tomorrow a showdown with Italian powerhouse Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, who yesterday down Halkbank in three sets, in the final!

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🏐| 2024/25 CEV Champions League | SEMIFINALS 📍Atlas Arena Łódź

Friday May 16, 2025
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 3-0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:22)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

👉🏼Saturday May 17, 2025
• 14.45 (Local Time) | JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel (POL) – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie (POL) 2-3 (25:19, 25:18, 20:25, 19:25, 20:22)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH