Bogdanka LUK Lublin conquer Poland again: León leads Supercup thriller as Antiga’s Champions retain their crown!

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Bogdanka LUK Lublin have once again claimed the Polish Supercup, confirming their place at the top of the domestic game with a dramatic 3–0 victory over Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. In front of 7,100 spectators in Częstochowa, Stéphane Antiga’s side survived an extraordinary opening set before taking control of the final and leaving the reigning Polish champions with no way back.

The scoreline — 34:32, 25:20, 25:18 — suggests a match that gradually tilted in Lublin’s favour. Yet the decisive moment came long before the final point, in a first set that lasted around 40 minutes and threatened to change the entire course of the evening. Zawiercie had looked close to taking the lead in the final, but Lublin refused to surrender, saving several set points and finding the composure to win one of the most dramatic passages of the match.
The opening exchanges were evenly matched, with both teams struggling to establish a lasting advantage. Zawiercie eventually moved ahead 22–19 and appeared to have the first set within reach. But Lublin responded at the net, using its block to disrupt the champions’ attack and bring the score back level. The set continued beyond the usual 25 points, with neither side able to close it out.
At 32–32, the tension was palpable. The decisive errors finally came from Zawiercie, whose missed attack gave Lublin the opportunity to take the set. Bogdanka seized it, winning 34–32 and turning a potentially damaging deficit into a psychological advantage that would prove crucial for the rest of the match.
The first set was more than an opening victory. It was the moment that changed the final’s direction. Having come so close to losing, Lublin emerged with renewed confidence, while Zawiercie were left to recover from a missed opportunity that had demanded so much effort.

The second set began with Lublin taking control, and the difference in momentum quickly became visible. The team from eastern Poland imposed greater pressure from the service line, forcing Zawiercie to work harder in reception and making it increasingly difficult for the champions to organise their attack. The advantage grew as the set progressed, with Bogdanka showing greater consistency in the decisive exchanges.
Mousse Gueye was particularly influential, helping Lublin build a lead that Zawiercie struggled to reduce. The reigning champions continued to fight, but their opponents had found a rhythm that was difficult to interrupt. Lublin closed the set 25–20, moving one step closer to retaining the trophy.

The third set offered little relief for Zawiercie. Lublin continued to dictate the tempo, while the champions were unable to find the response required to extend the match. Wilfredo León became increasingly dangerous from the service line, adding pressure to an opponent already struggling to recover from the first-set defeat.
Zawiercie attempted to remain competitive, but Lublin’s confidence was now evident in every phase of the game, controlling the important rallies, finding points through their attacking options and maintaining their advantage when the match reached its final stages.
The last two rallies brought the final to its conclusion. Miguel Tavares sent his serve long, handing Lublin match point. León then stepped up and delivered an ace, completing the victory and confirming Lublin’s second consecutive Supercup title.

León and Mateusz Malinowski finished as Lublin’s leading scorers, with 16 points apiece. The Cuban-born outside hitter, who now represents Poland internationally, also recorded three aces and was recognised for the fastest serve of the match, reaching 132 km/h. Ran Takahashi contributed 15 points, while Gueye added 10.
The individual recognition reflected the importance of León’s contribution, but the final was also a demonstration of Lublin’s collective strength. The team had to withstand the pressure of a first set that could easily have gone the other way, then maintain its composure and concentration for two more sets against a high-quality opponent.
Setter Marcin Komenda was named the most valuable player of the final, underlining the importance of his leadership in a match where the ability to organise the attack and manage difficult situations proved decisive. His role was particularly significant during the opening set, when Lublin needed to remain patient and find solutions under pressure.

For Zawiercie, Tomasz Fornal finished with 12 points, while Mateusz Bieniek and Bartłomiej Bołądź contributed 10 each. Their efforts were not enough to prevent another defeat, however, and the result deepened the disappointment surrounding the team’s early-season performances.
The Polish champions had already suffered a 0–3 defeat against GKS Katowice in the league, although they subsequently responded with a 3–1 victory over ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. The Supercup was therefore an opportunity to restore confidence and demonstrate that the team could quickly return to its best level.
Instead, another straight-sets loss has intensified the scrutiny surrounding Michał Winiarski and his players.
The contrast between the two teams was particularly striking after the opening set. Zawiercie had the opportunity to take control of the final but could not convert it. Lublin, by contrast, found the resilience to survive the most difficult moment of the match and then played with the confidence of a team that had already overcome its greatest obstacle.

The result also carries historical significance for Bogdanka LUK Lublin: the club won its first Polish Supercup on November 5, 2025, defeating Jastrzębski Węgiel 3–1 in Katowice. That victory marked the beginning of a new chapter for the team, which had previously never lifted the trophy. The 2026 triumph now makes Lublin only the latest club to successfully defend the title, joining a small group of teams that have won the competition in consecutive editions.
The Polish Supercup itself has a history that reflects the changing balance of power in the country’s volleyball.
Established in 2012, the competition traditionally brings together the Polish league champions and cup winners, opening the season with a meeting between two of the previous campaign’s leading teams. The event was not held in 2016, but has otherwise become an important fixture on the domestic calendar.
Before Lublin’s recent rise, PGE Skra Bełchatów had established itself as the competition’s most successful club, winning four titles in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2018.
ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle followed with three victories, while Jastrzębski Węgiel won the trophy in 2021 and 2022.
Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie claimed its first Supercup in 2024, before Lublin began its own consecutive-title run.

The competition has also produced some memorable finals: Jastrzębski Węgiel defeated ZAKSA in 2021 and 2022, while ZAKSA returned to the top in 2023 with a five-set victory.
In 2024, Warta Zawiercie beat Jastrzębski Węgiel in another dramatic tie-break, before Lublin’s first title in 2025 ended the run of success enjoyed by other established contenders.

The latest final added another unforgettable chapter.
A 34–32 opening set, a three-match-point comeback in the deciding moments of that set and León’s final ace gave the match a narrative that went far beyond the scoreline. Lublin had to earn the trophy the hard way, and its ability to respond under pressure proved to be the defining quality of the evening.
For Antiga’s team, the Supercup is both a reward for the previous season and a statement of intent for the new one. The victory does not guarantee success in the league, but it confirms that Lublin remain capable of competing with the strongest teams in Poland and of delivering when the stakes are highest.
Zawiercie, meanwhile, will have to find a way to turn its early-season setbacks into a response. The quality of the roster remains evident, but the Supercup exposed the importance of converting opportunities, particularly against opponents who are able to sustain pressure throughout a match.
The final in Częstochowa belonged to Bogdanka LUK Lublin: a team that survived the brink of defeat, regained control and finished with the confidence of champions.
León supplied the decisive points, Komenda directed the game and Antiga’s side once again lifted the trophy. The Supercup remains in Lublin — and the new Polish season has already delivered a final worthy of its biggest stage.

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