Top-ranked Poland kept itself perfect after besting its third foe, the Netherlands, in the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship Wednesday, Sept. 17.
World No. 1 Poland bucked a slow start to beat the Netherlands, 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22, and seal the top seeding in Pool B in the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The Poles, who finished runner-up in 2022, leaned on the steady offense of team captain Bartosz Kurek to complete their 3-0 sweep of the preliminary phase.
Kurek finished with 19 points to help Poland arrange a Round of 16 matchup against Canada.
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Poland had to dig deep late in the match to hold off the 19th-ranked Dutch.
The Netherlands was actually ahead, 18-16, in the fourth set.
But the Poles went on an unanswered 4-0 run to seize the upperhand, 20-18. It was all the cushion they needed to keep the Dutch at bay, even as their foes continued to threaten at 21-22.
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Tomasz Fornal and Kamil Semeniuk were the supporting cast for Poland with 15 and 14 markers, respectively.
Poland prevails for the third straight time in as many games in the FIVB Men's World Championship preliminary round. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
Ahyi led the Dutch in the losing effort with a game-high 23 points.
The Netherlands finished the preliminaries with a 2-1 slate, and will face Türkiye in the next round.
The next phase of the World Championship begins Saturday, Sept. 20, at the MOA in Pasay City.
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Luisa Morales is a sportswriter with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.