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Article wrote by Danilo from Ningbo for Volleytimes, please respect his job.
Defending champions Poland secured their place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League after defeating Ukraine 3-1 (25:22, 22:25, 25:20, 25:17) in the final quarterfinal in Ningbo, China.
Nikola Grbić’s side will now face the United States for a place in Sunday’s gold medal match, while Japan and Slovenia will battle in the other semifinal.
Played in front of 3,491 spectators, the match was far more competitive than the final score might suggest.
Ukraine, making its first-ever appearance in the VNL Finals, pushed one of the tournament favorites for long stretches before Poland’s superior blocking, serving pressure, and attacking efficiency proved decisive.
The two teams had already produced one of the most entertaining matches of the preliminary round, when Poland edged Ukraine in a dramatic five-set battle. This time, despite the return of star outside hitter Oleh Plotnytskyi, Ukraine once again fell just short against the reigning VNL champions.
Nikola Grbić made several changes compared to the lineup that faced Ukraine during the preliminary phase, with middle blocker Bartłomiej Lemański the only starter retained from that match.
Poland immediately imposed its rhythm in the opening set, taking control through aggressive serving and efficient attacking. Although Ukraine reduced the gap late in the set, a crucial block sealed the opener 25-22. Wilfredo León led the way with nine points in the first set alone.
Ukraine responded brilliantly in the second set. The teams remained neck-and-neck until the closing stages before a decisive 3-0 run allowed the Ukrainians to take a 23-21 lead. New Cucine Lube Civitanova signing Tonkonoh converted the decisive attack through the Polish block, giving Ukraine the set 25-22 and leveling the match at one set apiece.
The turning point came in the third set. After an even start, Poland’s service pressure began to disrupt Ukraine’s reception, allowing Bartłomiej Bołądź to take over offensively. One of the most unusual moments of the match came at 10-10 when Plotnytskyi failed to make contact with the ball during his service motion, resulting in a rare service error. Poland capitalized on the momentum and claimed the set 25-20.
With confidence restored, the defending champions dominated the fourth set. Their blocking became increasingly effective, Bołądź continued to score from all areas of the court, and the introduction of Kamil Semeniuk provided additional stability as Poland comfortably closed the match 25-17.
Opposite hitter Bartosz Bołądź delivered another outstanding performance, finishing as the match’s top scorer with 24 points while attacking at an exceptional 66% efficiency.
Wilfredo León added 16 points, giving Poland two unstoppable offensive weapons throughout the contest.
The European powerhouse built its victory on exceptional work at the net, recording 14 winning blocks compared to Ukraine’s seven. Poland also finished with 53% attacking efficiency, 51% positive reception, and four service aces, while taking advantage of 27 Ukrainian errors.
Overall, Poland outscored Ukraine 97-84, registering 52 successful attacks, 14 blocks, and 4 aces.
Although Ukraine finished with better overall reception numbers (78 successful receptions to Poland’s 68), more digs (57-56), and more total sets, the Polish side proved significantly more efficient in the decisive moments.
Despite the defeat, Ukraine can leave Ningbo with plenty of positives after reaching the VNL Finals for the first time in the nation’s history.
Three players reached double figures in scoring. Vasyl Tupchii led the team with 13 points to his name, followed by Dmytro Yanchuk with 12 and Yurii Semeniuk with 10.
One of the biggest surprises of the match was the quiet performance of Oleh Plotnytskyi, who was limited to just six points while hitting at only 32% efficiency, well below his usual standards.
Ukraine finished with 42% attacking efficiency, 54% positive reception, seven blocks, and three aces, producing another spirited performance despite falling short against one of the tournament’s elite teams.
With the victory, Poland reaches the VNL semifinals for the second consecutive season and keeps alive its dream of defending the title won in 2025.
The Poles will now face the Slovenia, who yesterday eliminated Türkiye, in a blockbuster semifinal that will determine one of the two finalists of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League.
On the opposite side of the bracket, unbeaten Japan will meet USA, earlier eliminated Italy in another thrilling quarterfinal, guaranteeing two highly anticipated clashes as the race for the VNL trophy enters its decisive stage.
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🏐| FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2026 | QUARTERFINALS
📍Ningbo Beilun – China 🇨🇳
—Wednesday | July 29, 2026 —
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Türkiye 3-0 (25:21, 35:33, 39:37)
• 19.30 (Local Time) | Japan – China 3-1 (23:25, 25:23, 25:16, 25:23)
— Thursday | July 30, 2026 —
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Italy – USA 0-3 (22:25, 21:25, 21:25)
👉🏼 19.30 (Local Time) | Poland – Ukraine 3-1 (25:22, 22:25, 25:20, 25:17)
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