Poland Dominates Ukraine in European Volleyball Championship: Grbić Reacts
Heading into the late stages of the European Men’s Volleyball Championship 2026, Polish national team head coach Nikola Grbić voiced sharp concerns despite a dominant 3:0 victory over Ukraine in Sofia, declaring the team’s level of execution in tight situations “dangerous” and stating bluntly, “I don’t like it,” according to match reports from Sport.pl and Wprost.pl.
Tactical Breakdown of the Straight-Set Victory Over Ukraine
Having previously swept Portugal, Israel, and North Macedonia 3:0, Poland entered the match facing an Ukrainian side that had already upset tournament co-hosts Bulgaria 3:1 under head coach Raul Lozano, as noted by Wprost.pl. While Polish attackers quickly dismantled the Ukrainian block—highlighted by Wilfredo Leon’s powerful opening touches reported by Przegląd Sportowy and a 20-point performance from opposite hitter Bartłomiej Bołądź of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie—the tactical execution fractured late in the match.
According to post-match statements covered by Wprost.pl, Grbić expressed pointed dissatisfaction with the team’s inability to close out opportunities efficiently once the serving pressure dropped off. “In the third set, the serve didn’t do what it did in the previous sets. And we fought. We had several chances, in several situations we didn’t finish and that’s why we played evenly to the end of the set in terms of score,” Grbić said, as cited by Wprost.pl. The match ultimately concluded with a blistering service ace from middle blocker Bartłomiej Lemański, sealing the straight-sets win.
Pool Standings and the Upcoming Clash With Bulgaria
Despite the head coach’s tactical reservations, the 3:0 victory secures Poland’s position at the top of the pool standings ahead of the final group stage fixture, guaranteeing an easier bracket pathway in the upcoming single-elimination knockout rounds. The team now turns its immediate focus to a high-stakes encounter against tournament co-hosts Bulgaria on Wednesday, September 16, at 18:00 local time in Sofia. Bulgaria enters the match as the reigning silver medalist from the 2025 World Championship, presenting a critical test for the defending European champions who captured gold in 2023 under similar high-pressure conditions.
Broadcast coverage for the remainder of the tournament remains accessible via public broadcaster Polsat for Polish national team fixtures, alongside dedicated streams on Polsat Sport and the Polsat Box Go platform.
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