Poland’s Tauron Liga returns with a star-studded lineup and a new title race

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Polish volleyball is ready to take centre stage again.
The 2026/27 Tauron Liga gets underway on this day, Friday, October 16, launching a new campaign in a country where the sport enjoys an extraordinary following.
With 14 teams competing for the national championship through to May, the season will bring together leading Polish internationals, established European stars and some of the most exciting names in the global game.
The strength of the domestic league is reflected in the presence of 13 players from the Poland squad that won the European Championship last month and secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Their return to club competition will add another layer of quality to a championship that has produced four different winners across the last five editions, underlining the difficulty of establishing sustained dominance.

Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will begin their title defence after winning the Polish championship for the first time in the club’s history last season.
Their ambitions are clear from the business completed during the offseason, with national team star Tomasz Fornal, middle blocker Jakub Kochanowski and Italian opposite Kamil Rychlicki joining an already formidable roster. American Olympic medallist Aaron Russell, Polish opposite Bartłomiej Bołądź, middle blocker Mateusz Bieniek and libero Jakub Popiwczak provide a strong foundation for the champions as they attempt to retain their crown.
One of their principal challengers will be BOGDANKA LUK Lublin, the 2024/25 champions who have faced Zawiercie in each of the last two finals. Lublin have strengthened their squad with the arrivals of Japanese stars Ran Takahashi and Tomohiro Ogawa, adding further international quality to a team that already features Polish standouts Wilfredo León, Kewin Sasak and Marcin Komenda, as well as Bulgarian middle blocker Aleks Grozdanov. With established leaders and new additions coming together, Lublin will be looking to reclaim the title and prevent Zawiercie from building a dynasty.
Several of Poland’s most decorated clubs will also be eager to return to the top. ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, with ten national titles to their name, PGE GiEK SKRA Bełchatów, nine-time champions, and Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, winners of seven championships, all bring a rich history to the competition. PGE Projekt Warszawa, meanwhile, continue their pursuit of a first Polish league title, despite assembling a roster featuring some of the country’s most recognisable names.
Bełchatów can rely on veteran setter Grzegorz Łomacz and Brazilian opposite Alan Souza, while Resovia have star setter Marcin Janusz, opposite Łukasz Kaczmarek and libero Paweł Zatorski among their key figures. ZAKSA will look to outside hitter Rafał Szymura and Dutch middle blocker Fabian Plak, while Warszawa boast Italian opposite Yuri Romanò, Polish national team captain Aleksander Śliwka and middle blocker Bartłomiej Lemański.
The league’s depth extends well beyond its traditional heavyweights. French outside hitter Yacine Louati, a two-time Olympic champion, will represent ChKS Chełm, while German setter Johannes Tille joins Energa Indykpol AZS Olsztyn. Ukrainian opposite Vasyl Tupchii will play for Jastrzębie Barkom, Bulgarian outside hitter Asparuh Asparuhov will strengthen Ślepsk Malow Suwałki, and Argentine opposite Pablo Kukartsev arrives at NEONET Norwid Częstochowa.
Their presence adds further variety to a championship in which international talent is spread across the entire field rather than concentrated exclusively among the leading clubs.
The 14-team lineup is completed by Energa Trefl Gdańsk, Stilon Gorzów and the returning GKS Katowice, who earned promotion after winning the second division last season. ChKS Chełm, Energa Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, Jastrzębie Barkom, NEONET Norwid Częstochowa and Ślepsk Malow Suwałki are also back for another campaign, ensuring continuity across much of the league while the promoted side introduces a new element to the competition.

The regular season will see every team play 26 matches, facing each of their 13 opponents once at home and once away. The eight highest-ranked teams will advance to the playoffs, while the team finishing 12th will be relegated to the second division. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested in best-of-three series, with the final and the third-place series decided over best-of-five encounters.
With the national team’s European Championship success still fresh and the Olympic qualification secured, the new Tauron Liga season arrives at an important moment for Polish volleyball. The domestic competition offers an opportunity for the country’s leading players to carry their international momentum into club action, while the arrival of stars such as Fornal, Takahashi and Rychlicki promises fresh storylines from the opening rounds.
Zawiercie will start with the target on their backs, Lublin will be determined to reclaim the championship, and Poland’s historic powerhouses will be looking to add another chapter to their legacy. With international quality throughout the league and a title race that has repeatedly produced different winners in recent years, the Tauron Liga is ready for another season in which every contender will have to earn its place at the top.

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