Poland defeated the United States 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-10) in the Nations League volleyball final on Sunday, securing consecutive titles after winning the competition in 2025.
The match was a tense, seesaw affair that went the full five sets. In the opening set, neither team pulled clear until Poland broke away from 15-14 to win 25-21, with Wilfredo Leon standing out on serve, one of his services recorded at 119 km/h.
The United States levelled by taking the second set 25-23, with middle blockers Averill and McHenry playing well. Poland’s Tomasz Fornal kept his side in contention, but the Americans built a 17-13 lead before Poland clawed back, with key defensive plays from Jakub Popiwczak and contributions from Szymon Jakubiszak helping to erase the deficit.
The third set was marked by a dramatic American comeback. Despite trailing 15-19 and then 19-21, the US levelled at 22-22. Jack Hanes stepped up as a leader after Matthew Anderson was forced to leave the court late in the set, and Taylor Averill scored the decisive point as the US won on extra points.
Poland regained momentum in the fourth set, with Kamil Semeniuk and Fornal driving their team forward. Fornal served two aces late in the set as Poland recovered from 19-20 down to win 25-23 and force a tie-break, which Poland won 15-10 to claim the title.
Poland, who beat the US 3-1 in the 2023 Nations League final, now turn their attention to the European Championship, where they will begin as defending champions on September 10 against Portugal.
