Kochanowski and Bieniek guide Poland to the semis

Poland were strongly challenged by the United States, but they continue on their quest for a third-straight FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship title following a dramatic quarterfinal victory in front of their home fans in Gliwice on Thursday.

After a strong start, the Poles saw the Americans come back to win sets three and four and force a tie-breaker, but in the end, the home team found a way to win in five sets (25-20, 27-25, 21-25, 22-25, 15-12) to the delight of their loud fans.

· Watch all FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship 2022 matches live on Volleyball TV.

In the semifinals, the Poles will meet Brazil in a rematch of the finals of both the 2014 and 2018 editions of the tournament. Their next opponents overcame Argentina 3-1 in an all-South American quarterfinal earlier on Thursday.

The other semifinal will reunite Italy and co-hosts Slovenia, who defeated France and Ukraine respectively in Ljubljana on Wednesday. The semifinals will be played on Saturday, in Katowice, Poland, at 18.00 local time (16.00 GMT) and 21.00 local time (19.00 GMT) – the order of the matches is yet to be confirmed.

FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland Slovenia 2022: Schedule and results

Dominating the middle was one of the keys to the Polish victory in Gliwice. While Jakub Kochanoswki and Mateusz Bieniek combined for 34 points on the European side, American middle blockers David Smith, Jeff Jendryk and Taylor Averill produced just 16.

The 25-year-old Kochanowski was on fire from the service line, tallying a match-high three aces to go with his 15 kills and round up an 18-point performance. Bieniek, on the other hand, was in top form at the net, producing a match-high six blocks – he also had eight kills and two aces in his 16-point match.

Star opposite and team captain Bartosz Kurek was the only Polish player to have a better output than the two middle blockers, leaving the court with 21 points to his name – 20 kills and one block.

“USA pushed us to our limit, what a great team they are,” Kurek reacted. “We let our level drop after the second set and we had to find our game again. I’m glad we did in the tie-breaker. It was an amazing display of teamwork from our side, we have such an amazing group. I want to highlight one player in particular - (outside hitter Aleksander) Sliwka. He’s been getting a lot of criticism this season and he’s put on a show tonight. He was the best player on the court today.”

The 27-year-old Sliwka also scored in double digits, tallying 11 points (all in kills), including the game-winner.

American outside hitter Aaron Russell was the match’s top scorer with 24 points (22 kills, one block, one ace). Opposite Matt Anderson added another 18 (all in kills), while outside hitter Garrett Muagututia came off the bench to deliver nine (seven kills, two aces).

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FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland Slovenia 2022
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