Poland survive Slovenia in five-set Wagner Memorial 2026 thriller

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After the great win of France over USA, on Friday evening in Kraków, the TAURON Arena was packed with around 15,000 Polish supporters as the hosts began the XXIII edition of the tournament with a five-set battle against Slovenia. After more than two hours of momentum swings, Poland finally prevailed 26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11, in a match that looked much more like a competitive championship encounter than a preseason test.
For Nikola Grbić’s team, the result was valuable, but perhaps even more important was the opportunity to test different solutions under pressure, with the European Championship approaching in September.

Slovenia made the better start, immediately moving 4–1 ahead. Poland’s problems increased when Bartłomiej Lemański was forced to leave the court with an injury while Slovenia led 7–5. The hosts nevertheless recovered quickly, helped by aggressive serving and an increasingly effective attack led by Bartłomiej Bołądź. His ace levelled the score at 11–11, and the first set developed into a tense battle.
Poland eventually had set point at 24–22, only for Slovenia to fight back and force extra points. The hosts finally got over the line at 26–24, with Bołądź finishing the decisive attack before Wilfredo León produced the winning serve.
The second set followed a similar pattern at first.
Slovenia established early leads of 5–1 and 9–5, while Poland repeatedly managed to close the gap. The hosts came within one point at 8–9 and again at 14–15, but Slovenia remained composed when it mattered most. Sašo Štalekar, Nik Mujanović and Jan Kozamernik delivered the crucial points as Slovenia won 25–21 to level the match.
Poland then produced its strongest volleyball of the night.
Grbić’s side immediately took control of the third set, opening up an 11–6 advantage and later stretching it to 18–12. Slovenia made more errors than it had in the previous sets, while Poland maintained its pressure and closed out the set 25–19.
The fourth set was the most dramatic of all. Poland led 8–6 before Slovenia turned the momentum around with a strong serving run from Roko Bračko, moving ahead 12–9. From there, neither team was able to establish lasting control. Poland briefly led 15–14 before Slovenia responded to make it 18–15 and eventually reached set point at 24–20.
The match seemed destined for a fifth set, but Poland refused to disappear quietly. Two excellent serves from Jakub Majchrzak brought the hosts back to 23–24. Slovenia, however, held its nerve, with Nik Mujanović delivering the final point to make it 25–23.
Everything would therefore be decided by a tie-break.
This time, Poland left no room for doubt.
The hosts took an immediate 3–0 lead and changed ends at 8–4. Majchrzak became particularly influential in the closing stages, finishing three attacks and adding a crucial block as Poland moved within touching distance of victory.
Slovenia still threatened a comeback at 10–13, but a service error handed Poland match point. Artur Szalpuk then finished the job with a clean attack, sealing the fifth set 15–11 and the match 3–2.

The result was celebrated loudly by the 15,000 fans inside the TAURON Arena, but the Polish players were also conscious that the tournament is about much more than winning a friendly match. Bartłomiej Bołądź led all scorers with 24 points, matching Slovenia’s Nik Mujanović, who also finished with 24.

“For the fans, we probably played the best possible match — five full sets,” Kamil Semeniuk said after the game. “From our perspective, looking at the whole tournament, it may be more demanding because we will have less energy for tomorrow.”

Poland are using the Wagner Memorial as their main competitive test before the European Championship, deliberately placing themselves in difficult conditions against some of the strongest national teams in the world.

“We treat this tournament as a testing ground,” Semeniuk added. “We want to know where we are and whether we are ready for the upcoming European Championship.”

Jakub Popiwczak pointed out that filling one of Poland’s largest indoor arenas during the summer is remarkable for an event that is officially a friendly tournament.
The libero also highlighted the international appeal of the Memorial: teams such as the United States are travelling across the world to take part, despite already having secured their Olympic qualification.
That is perhaps the greatest achievement of the Wagner Memorial.
What began as a tribute to one of Poland’s most influential volleyball figures has evolved into one of the most prestigious international preparation tournaments, combining elite competition with an atmosphere that many official championships would envy.

The 2026 edition brings together Poland, France, the United States and Slovenia, giving all four teams an unusually demanding opportunity to measure themselves against high-level opposition before their respective continental championships.

And the story will continue beyond this year’s tournament.
The XXIV Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial has already been scheduled for September 3–5, 2027, again in Kraków’s TAURON Arena.
The Hubert Wagner Foundation has already opened ticket sales, an early decision that reflects the extraordinary demand surrounding the event: tickets for this year’s edition sold out rapidly.
In 2026, it is the final major test before the European Championship.
In 2027, it will become something even bigger: a dress rehearsal on home soil before Poland hosts the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

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Today’s Results | Friday August 28, 2026

18.00 (Local Time) | USA – France 0-3 (26:28, 21:25, 23:25)
USA: Russell (12), Robinson (3), Ma’a (3), Hanes (14), McHenry (5), Knigge (3), Ewert (2), Shoji (libero), Briggs (libero), Jendryk (2), Garcia, Hartke i Ewert (2)
France: Brizard (4), M. Henno (12), Clevenot (10), Faure (9), Huetz (4), Iyegbekedo (6), Diez (libero), Tizi-Oualou, Duflos.

👉🏼20.30 (Local Time) | Poland – Slovenia 3-2 (26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11)
Poland: Komenda (2), Lemański, Leon (8), Fornal (6), Bołądź (24), Jakubiszak (2), Popiwczak (libero), Śliwka, Szalpuk (9), Semeniuk (8), Majchrzak (10), Sasak (2), Firlej.
Slovenia: Planinsic (2), Kozamernik (11), Stalekar (10), Urnaut (5), Mozic (7), Mujanovic (24), Kovacic (libero), Bracko (12), Okroglic (libero), Najdic (1), Sen (4).

FULL 2026 PROGRAM HERE

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