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There are friendly tournaments, and then there is the Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial.
For Poland, this annual appointment in Kraków has long been about much more than preparation, but a meeting point between history and the present, played in front of a passionate home crowd and, more importantly this year, the final major test before the European Championship.
And on Sunday evening, the hosts delivered exactly the kind of performance Nikola Grbić will have wanted to see.
Poland came from behind to defeat France 3–1 (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20) in the decisive match of the XXIII Memorial, finishing the tournament unbeaten and lifting the trophy for the 12th time in the history of the competition.
It was also a victory with a certain symbolic weight.
On the other side of the net stood the reigning Olympic champions, a team that had already shown its quality in Kraków by beating the United States and Slovenia. France had started the final day with two victories, but Poland once again demonstrated its ability to respond when a match does not begin according to plan.
The pattern had already appeared in the previous evening’s encounter with the United States. Poland lost the opening set, then produced three consecutive winning sets.
Against France, the same story unfolded.
The visitors started with greater authority.
France moved ahead 5–3 and then 10–6, putting pressure on Poland with an efficient attack and a strong presence at the net. The hosts gradually began to close the gap, with their block becoming increasingly influential, while Bartłomiej Bołądź remained a reliable option in attack.
Poland eventually levelled the first set at 19–19, but France held its nerve at the crucial moment. Antoine Brizard’s serve created problems for the Polish reception and Theo Faure finished the opening set with a successful attack, giving France a 25–22 lead.
That, however, was effectively the moment the match changed direction.
Poland returned to the court with a completely different level of intensity.
The home side began to serve more aggressively, the block became increasingly difficult for France to overcome, and the Polish attack found its rhythm.
Bołądź continued to provide stability on the right side, while Jakub Nowak contributed across several areas of the game. Poland quickly moved 10–6 ahead and never allowed France to establish another sustained run. The second set ended 25–17, bringing the hosts level.
The third set was even more emphatic.
Poland’s block practically shut down the French attack. The Olympic champions struggled to find solutions against a defence that was reading the game increasingly well, and the Polish advantage grew rapidly. At 21–11, the outcome of the set was already close to decided, with Kewin Sasak eventually completing the 25–15 win.
France needed a response, but Poland had found control of the match.
The fourth set followed a similar script. Tomasz Fornal continued to cause problems at the net, while Poland maintained enough pressure from the service line to prevent France from building momentum. The hosts established an early advantage and reached 20–14 with the trophy seemingly within touching distance.
France saved two match points late in the set, but the comeback never materialised. Stephen Boyer then sent the decisive serve into the net, handing Poland the set 25–20 and the match 3–1.
Bołądź was once again the main attacking reference for the winners scoring 20 points today, and his contribution throughout the weekend was rewarded with the tournament’s biggest individual honour. The Polish opposite was named MVP of the Memorial, as well as the tournament’s best attacker. Jakub Majchrzak was selected as the best middle blocker, while France’s Antoine Brizard and Benjamin Diez were named best setter and best libero respectively. United States outside hitter Cooper Robinson completed the individual award winners as best receiver.
For Poland, the achievement is particularly significant in the context of the Memorial’s long history. The national team has now won the tournament 12 times, and has finished on the podium in all but one of the 23 editions. The only time Poland failed to reach the top three was in 2011, when the Memorial was held in Katowice.
The 2026 edition also produced a remarkably clear final picture.
Poland finished first with three victories from three matches, followed by France with two wins. The United States took third place after beating Slovenia 3–2 in Sunday’s opening match, while Slovenia finished fourth without a victory.
For Grbić, perhaps the most encouraging element was not simply the perfect record, but the way his team responded under pressure.
Twice in Kraków, against the United States and France, Poland lost the first set.
Twice, the response was immediate and decisive: three consecutive sets won to turn the match around.
That ability to change the momentum of a match could prove extremely valuable in September.
Poland arrive at EuroVolley as the reigning European champions, and their route to defending the title will begin in Sofia.
The 2026 European Championship brings together 24 teams across Bulgaria, Finland, Italy and Romania, with Poland drawn into Pool B alongside hosts Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Portugal and Israel.
The Polish campaign in Sofia will begin against Portugal on September 10, followed by Israel on September 12, North Macedonia on September 13 and Ukraine on September 15. The group stage will conclude with perhaps the most anticipated match from the Bulgarian perspective: Poland vs Bulgaria on September 16 at Arena 8888 Sofia.
Before travelling to Sofia, however, Grbić’s team still have one final warm-up match. Poland will face Finland in Gdańsk on September 5, in the last scheduled test before the European Championship.
The Wagner Memorial was therefore never meant to provide answers to every question. But it has provided Poland with something perhaps even more valuable: confirmation that, when the pressure rises and the first set goes against them, this team knows how to fight its way back.
And with EuroVolley now just around the corner, the reigning champions are sending a very clear message.
Final Standings:
1. Poland 8
2. France 6
3. USA 2
4. Slovenia 2
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Today’s Results | Sunday August 30, 2026
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – USA 2-3 (30:28, 26:28, 25:17, 19:25, 11:15)
Slovenia: Pajenk (8), Planinsić, Kozmernik (8), Urnaut (9), Mozić (10), Mujanović (22), Kovacić (libero), Najdić (1), Sen (8), Marovt (1), Braćko (5), Stalekar (2), Ogroglić (libero), Krzić (3)
USA: Jendryk (5), Rowan (4), Robinson (26), Hartke (16), McHenry (2), Ewert (14), Briggs (libero), Garcia, Knigge (8)
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Poland – France 3-1 (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20)
Poland: Bołądź (20), Komenda, Nowak (10), Jakubiszak (7), Semeniuk (13), Fornal (11), Popiwczak (libero), Sasak (2), Szalpuk (1), Firlej.
France: Faure (5), Brizard (3), Iyegbekedo (4), Huetz (9), Henno (13), Clevenot (4), Diez (libero), Tizi-Oualou, Boyer (9), Pothron (4), Magnin (6).
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