Poland's women's volleyball team has secured a place among the final four at the European Championship after beating the Netherlands 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) on Thursday. Attacker Magdalena Stysiak led all Polish scorers with 14 points.
Speaking to Polsat Sport shortly after the win, Stysiak said the whole squad was satisfied, having achieved something most of the players had dreamed of before the tournament began. She said the team remained hungry and that reaching the semi-final was not enough on its own.
Semi-final against Italy
Poland will now face Italy, the reigning world champions, in Saturday's semi-final. A win would guarantee Poland a medal, sending them straight into the final.
Stysiak said the players were well aware of how difficult an opponent Italy would be and expected a tough match, but said every player knew why she was there and would give everything despite the squad being very tired. She added that if the semi-final did not go Poland's way, the fight for bronze would still matter greatly and would be something the team could be proud of.
"They have to, we only can"
Despite the scale of the challenge, Stysiak said she saw a real chance of victory. She said she always repeats the same line to herself, that Italy have to win while Poland only can, and that she expected the same dynamic on Saturday. According to Stysiak, Italy carry the pressure of favourites, while Poland's task is to focus on their own game and good volleyball and try to spring a surprise, with the outcome to be decided on the court.
Looking back to 2019
Stysiak also looked back to the last time Poland reached the final four of the European Championship, in 2019, when the team lost the bronze medal match to Italy. She was 19 at the time and playing in her first major tournament. She said she had felt no pressure back then and had played on so much adrenaline that she remembers little of it. She said she now approaches the tournament differently as a more mature player, and feels prouder, more satisfied and more conscious of the work the team has put in to reach this stage.
What's next
The European Championship semi-final between Poland and Italy will be played on Saturday, September 5, in Istanbul, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.
