VolleyBar53# : Wednesday July 29, 2026
5 min read
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Welcome to the 53rd episode of VolleyBar, where we begin with a few news updates from Poland.
Norwid Częstochowa strengthen their roster ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The club has officially signed Michał Grzyb, a 21-year-old outside hitter who returns to Poland after spending the last two seasons in the Czech Extraliga.
Standing 197 cm tall, he is a product of the Trefl Gdańsk academy, where he progressed through the club’s youth system, competing in the second division before gaining his first experience in the PlusLiga. Ahead of the 2024/25 season, he made the first international move of his career by joining Czech side VK Ostrava.
During his two seasons in Ostrava, he became a regular starter in the Czech top division.
“The TAURON Liga has been one of the strongest leagues in the world for many years. Having the opportunity to compete at this level is a huge chance for me and another important step in my development,” he said.
He has also represented Poland at youth national team level and comes from a family deeply rooted in volleyball. He is the son of Wojciech Grzyb, former Polish international, 2006 World Championship silver medallist, and one of the finest middle blockers of his generation.
At the end of this month, Bogdan Szczebak will leave Jastrzębski Węgiel, bringing to an end an extraordinary 27-year journey with the club.
“I am leaving a club that has been much more than just a workplace. It has been my family, my identity, my memories, my successes, and above all the people who made all of this possible. Those achievements are not mine—they belong to everyone who has been part of this community. I want to thank the coaches, my colleagues, every club employee, and our supporters. We built great teams, but it was the people around those teams who made success possible. We won many medals, and no one can ever take those away from us—or the memories, emotions, stories, victories and defeats we experienced together,” he said.
His remarkable career at Jastrzębski Węgiel included:
• 27 years with the club.
• First as a young volleyball player.
• Later as a member of the club’s administrative staff.
• Since the 2004/05 season, he served as statistician under several coaching staffs.
• During the last three seasons, he worked as assistant coach with responsibility for match analysis.
After teasing fans with a small mystery yesterday, Cuprum Stilon Gorzów have officially announced the signing of Jakub Czerwiński.
Last season was a memorable one for the young player. Together with Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, he captured the PlusLiga (now TAURON Liga) championship, reached the CEV Champions League Final, and won the bronze medal at the FIVB Club World Championship.
Internationally, he also won the bronze medal at the 2021 FIVB U21 World Championship with the Polish national team.
To close the Polish chapter, ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle have strengthened their roster for the 2026/27 season by signing a new outside hitter, Kamil Kosiba.
“I’m delighted to join ZAKSA, a club with a rich history that always competes for the highest ambitions. Both in life and in my career, my main priority has always been development, so despite the fact that some people may consider this decision controversial, it wasn’t a difficult one for me. I’m especially excited to work with coach Andrea Giani, one of the best coaches in the world, whose presence certainly had a positive influence on my decision. I hope that together we can build a team that will fight in every single match and bring plenty of joy to our supporters. The TAURON Liga is an incredibly competitive league, where you have to stay fully focused and 100% prepared for every match because every point matters in the end. My goal remains the same as every year: to leave my heart and everything I have on the court, support my teammates both on and off it, and help the team achieve the best possible results. I can’t wait to see everyone soon at Azoty Hall,” he said in club’s official statement.
On the international stage, Mexico secured a place in the semifinals of the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo by defeating Venezuela in four sets (25:18, 25:19, 23:25, 25:21), with Josué López leading the way with 20 points.
Mexico will now face Puerto Rico in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, defending champions Cuba bounced back from losing the opening set to defeat the Dominican Republic 3-1 (23:25, 25:22, 25:16, 25:19) and book their own semifinal berth, where they will meet Colombia.
Daniel Martínez scored 19 points for Cuba, while Henry Tapia finished with 16 for the Dominican Republic.
Slovenia is through to the 2026 Volleyball Nations League semifinals after edging Türkiye in an unforgettable straight-set thriller: 25:21, 35:33, 39:37.
It marks Slovenia’s third consecutive appearance in the VNL semifinals, further confirming their status among the world’s elite.
Japan also booked its place in the semifinals after overcoming tournament hosts China in four sets: 23:25, 25:23, 25:16, 25:23.
This is Japan’s third semifinal appearance in VNL history, following its historic silver-medal campaign in 2024.
The victory also extends Japan’s incredible run to 13 wins in 13 matches, keeping their perfect record intact heading into the semifinals.
Once again, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to our colleague and friend Danilo, who will be on site for every match, bringing you exclusive coverage of the VNL Finals directly from the court.
Pakistan are the 2026 CAVA Men’s Volleyball Champions!
The CAVA Men’s Volleyball Championship is the premier men’s national team tournament organized by the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA), one of the five regional zonal associations operating under the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC).
The competition brings together the best national teams from Central and South Asia, offering them the opportunity to compete for the regional crown while contributing to the continued growth and development of volleyball across the region.
The 2026 edition, held in Islamabad, Pakistan, featured six participating nations: Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan enjoyed a dominant and flawless campaign from start to finish, culminating in a straight-sets victory over Bangladesh in the final (25:20, 25:16, 25:20) to lift the championship trophy on home soil.
Congratulations to Pakistan on an outstanding tournament!
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