LOTTO EUROVOLLEY POLAND 2017: Polska – Słowenia 0:3, play off 4 (2)

LOTTO EUROVOLLEY POLAND 2017 hosts Poland crashed out at the play-off stage after being beaten in straight sets by Slovenia (25-21, 25-21, 25-19). The result means that Slobodan Kovač’s side will face Russia in their quarter-final at 17:30 on Thursday evening.

Two years ago Slovenia beat Poland in the EuroVolley quarter-finals and here in Krakow it was once again they who ended the Polish dreams of a medal, to the huge disappointment of a massive crowd inside TAURON Arena.

The start of the match was very tight but Bartosz Kurek’s serves helped Poland secure a 9-6 lead. Polish captain Michał Kubiak scored a couple of points to make it 11-8. Mitja Gasparini tied it up at 13-all and after getting their block in the right place, Slovenia led 15-14. They held on to the slight margin until Łukasz Kaczmarek scored to make it 21-20 in Poland’s favour. It was all the Poles could do in the period and after losing five consecutive points, Gasparini ended it at 25-21.

Slovenia were clearly satisfied after winning their first close set in three matches and kept it going in the second, working well with their block and staying ahead by two points. They even managed to increase the lead to 12-9 with a triple block on Kubiak. There came a moment when the Polish block (mostly Bartłomiej Lemański and Kurek) pushed hard so the Poles got back to 15-15. Then the Slovenian captain Tine Urnaut showed some skills and his team bounced back to lead 20-16. It was simply too much of a deficit to overcome for Poland, who lost 25-21 after another Urnaut spike.

In the final set the Slovenians started with more concentration, but they trailed 7-5 following a brilliant ace from Łukasz Kaczmarek. Mateusz Bieniek’s outlet Slovenia tie the score up at 8-all and from then onwards they stayed in touch with Poland, preventing them from building up a significant lead. Slovenia got themselves ahead at 13-11 after Jan Kozamernik’s spike and Alen Pajenk’s ace. The point series lasted even longer and during the second technical time-out the scoreboard showed a 16-11 lead in Slovenia’s favour. The end loomed for Poland and a duo of Slovenian aces made it 21-14. The dream quickly became a reality after Pajenk finished the set at 25-19.