Poland: ChKS Chełm close Round 3 fighting back to claim first season victory against Jastrzębie Barkom

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Podziemia Kredowe ChKS Chełm finally have their first victory of the 2026/27 TAURON Liga campaign. The newcomers celebrated a memorable breakthrough on Sunday, coming from behind twice to defeat Jastrzębie Barkom 2-3 (25:14, 22:25, 25:20, 23:25, 10:15) away from home and bring the third round to a close.

For Barkom, the result marked their first defeat of the season after winning their opening two matches. The hosts initially looked well on course for another victory, delivering a dominant performance in the first set. Their block caused serious problems for Chełm, particularly for Amirhossein Esfandiar and Yacine Louati, while Lorenzo Pope and Maxwell Elgert provided the offensive firepower. Barkom quickly established a comfortable lead and closed the set at 25-14.
Chełm responded in the second set, although the hosts continued to make life difficult for them. The visitors started strongly, building a 5-2 advantage, but Barkom fought back and the teams remained close through the middle of the set. The turning point came at 18-18, when Chełm produced a crucial three-point run. Yacine Louati eventually finished the set-winning attack to level the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 scoreline.
Barkom regained the lead in the third set. After Chełm had fought back to 13-13, the home side began to create some separation, with Bartosz Firszt and Adam Lorenc making important contributions in attack. Lorenc also added a block as Barkom moved ahead and eventually secured the set 25-20.
The fourth set proved to be the most closely contested. Barkom held an 11-8 advantage, but Chełm gradually worked their way back into the game. An ace from Esfandiar and a block by Louati helped the visitors turn the momentum around, while Jakub Turski, Tytus Nowik and Esfandiar delivered important points in the closing stages. Louati finished the decisive attack to give Chełm a 25-23 win and force a tie-break.
With the match on the line, Chełm finally took control. The visitors opened the deciding set with a 3-0 lead, and although Barkom managed to level the score at 3-3, Chełm quickly regained the initiative. Muzaj made his presence felt with important service points, while the visitors’ blocking helped them build a 10-5 advantage. Barkom attempted one final comeback, but Chełm held firm, with Jakub Turski sealing the victory with an ace at 15-10.

Maciej Muzaj was named MVP after scoring 18 points, including four blocks and three aces. Amirhossein Esfandiar added 21 points for the winners, while Yacine Louati contributed 12. On the home side, Adam Lorenc was the match’s leading scorer with 25 points, including 24 successful attacks, while Lorenzo Pope added 21 and Bartosz Firszt finished with 12.
The team statistics reveal an intriguing contrast. Barkom scored 65 points in attack compared with Chełm’s 51, and also finished with a higher attacking efficiency, 41% to 27%. However, the visitors made the difference from the service line, recording 10 aces against five, while also enjoying better positive reception (44% to 40%) and perfect reception (26% to 10%). Those advantages proved decisive in a match in which Chełm found a way to compensate for their opponents’ superior attacking numbers.

After two defeats to open their campaign, ChKS Chełm finally have something to celebrate, and the manner of the victory could prove particularly valuable for their confidence. For Jastrzębie Barkom, meanwhile, the first setback of the season comes despite a strong attacking performance and a commanding opening set. The match lasted two hours and 12 minutes, providing a dramatic conclusion to the third round.

Tauron Liga will continue on Tuesday with the advance of Round 4 between Energa Trefl Gdańsk and Stilon Gorzów.

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🏐| 2026/27 Tauron Liga | Kolejka 3 – Round 3

Thursday October 29, 2026
• 17.30 (Local Time) | Energa Indykpol AZS Olsztyn – ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle 0-3 (17:25, 20:25, 23:25)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Asseco Resovia Rzeszów – Energa Trefl Gdańsk 3-1 (22:25, 25:20, 25:20, 25:14)

Friday October 30, 2026
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Ślepsk Malow Suwałki – NEONET Norwid Częstochowa 3-1 (25:21, 25:15, 19:25, 25:18)

Saturday October 31, 2026
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Stilon Gorzów – PGE Projekt Warszawa 0-3 (23:25, 18:25, 25:27)
• 18.00 (Local Time) | PGE GiEK SKRA Bełchatów – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie 0-3 (16:25, 21:25, 16:25)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | BOGDANKA LUK Lublin – GKS Katowice 3-0 (25:18, 25:17, 25:21)

👉🏼Sunday November 1, 2026
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Jastrzębie Barkom – Podziemia Kredowe ChKS Chełm 2-3 (25:14, 22:25, 25:20, 23:25, 10:15)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. BOGDANKA LUK Lublin 9
2. Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie 9
3. PGE GiEK SKRA Bełchatów 8
4. Asseco Resovia Rzeszów 7
5. PGE Projekt Warszawa 7
6. Jastrzębie Barkom 6
7. GKS Katowice 5
8. Ślepsk Malow Suwałki 5
9. Energa Indykpol AZS Olsztyn 3
10. ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle 3
11. Podziemia Kredowe ChKS Chełm 3
12. NEONET Norwid Częstochowa 2
13. Stilon Gorzów 2
14. Energa Trefl Gdańsk 0

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🏐| NEXT GAMES | Kolejka 4 – Round 4

Monday November 3, 2026
• 17.30 (Local Time) | Energa Trefl Gdańsk – Stilon Gorzów

Tuesday November 4, 2026
• 17.30 (Local Time) | Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie – Energa Indykpol AZS Olsztyn
• 20.30 (Local Time) | BOGDANKA LUK Lublin – PGE GiEK SKRA Bełchatów

Wednesday November 5, 2026
• 20.30 (Local Time) | PGE Projekt Warszawa – Ślepsk Malow Suwałki

Tuesday November 10, 2026
• 17.30 (Local Time) | GKS Katowice – Podziemia Kredowe ChKS Chełm

Thursday November 11, 2026
• 17.30 (Local Time) | NEONET Norwid Częstochowa – Jastrzębie Barkom
• 20.30 (Local Time) | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle – Asseco Resovia Rzeszów

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