The name Malwina Smarzek stands out on the list of 30 players coach Stefano Lavarini announced for the Polish women’s national team’s 2024 roster. The 27-year-old scoring machine is back on the squad that will start preparing for the upcoming Volleyball Nations League and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The opposite, who was by far the best scorer of both VNL 2018 and VNL 2019, was not selected for the team during the past two seasons, but her name is now back on Lavarini’s long list.
Smarzek is not the only star player, who returns to the Polish national team after an absence of at least one season. Setter Marlena Kowalewska, the best server of VNL 2018, and outside hitter Natalia Medrzyk are back after last playing for Poland in 2020. Lavarini’s list also features the likes of middle blocker Klaudia Alagierska and outside Zuzanna Gorecka from the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship squad, who have not been on the team since then.
Poland’s full line-up of 14 players, who earned the team’s right to participate at this year’s Olympic Games during last year’s FIVB Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifier at home in Lodz, are on the roster again, which means Lavarini can rely on the services of all his star players, including the likes of setter Joanna Wolosz, middle Agnieszka Korneluk or opposite Magdalena Stysiak.