Poland Defeats Turkiye to Book Semifinal Clash with Italy at 2025 Men’s Volleyball World Championship

Poland continued their dominant campaign at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines, cruising past Turkiye in straight sets (25-15, 25-22, 25-19) to advance to the semifinals. The reigning European champions now face a high-stakes showdown with defending world champions Italy.

From the opening whistle, head coach Nikola Grbić’s squad controlled the tempo and never looked back.

Top Performers:

• Poland: Wilfredo Leon – 13 points (3 blocks, 1 ace), Jakub Kochanowski – 13 points, Bartosz Kurek – 10 points (60% attack efficiency)

• Turkiye: Adis Lagumdzija – 12 points

Statistically, Poland outclassed Turkiye across the board: 40–32 in attack points, 6–1 in service aces, and 7–2 in blocks. Leon was a force at the net, combining power and precision, while captain Kurek led with efficient finishing and composure.

Following the match, Leon emphasized the team’s mindset:
“You don’t win a quarterfinal 3–0 every day. We brought energy and focus, and I’m proud of the team. Playing Italy is always special – we’ll do our best to make it an amazing game for all the fans.”

Turkiye showed flashes of resilience but couldn’t maintain the pressure against a well-drilled Polish side. Top scorer Adis Lagumdzija reflected on the loss:
“We wanted to play much better today. Poland were the better team. Still, this tournament has taught us important lessons for the future.”

With the semifinal stage now set, all eyes turn to Saturday’s heavyweight clash between Poland and Italy—a rematch brimming with history, talent, and title ambitions.