TEAM captain Bartosz Kurek embraced the challenge of being among the favorites as world No. 1 Poland kicked off its 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship campaign with a rousing victory over No. 21 Romania last Saturday.
With Poland entering the tournament as the world’s top-ranked squad, Kurek said the reigning Volleyball Nations League champions know the target is on their backs but remained unfazed, treating the pressure as a privilege they proudly carry in pursuit of a fourth world crown.
“I think it’s high praise. It’s a privilege to be considered the favorites. It’s a privilege to play under this kind of pressure,” the former FIVB World Championship Best Opposite Spiker said after scoring 13 points in their opening win.
Kurek said he and his teammates can rise to expectations and carry the weight that comes with being the world’s number one men’s volleyball team.
“It’s not super easy, but I believe in myself, and I believe in my team that if one team can handle us, it’s us,” Kurek declared.
Poland is out for redemption after falling to Italy in the gold medal match of the 2022 World tilt.
Poland was pushed to the brink in the extended opener, but showed its championship mettle, regaining composure in the next frames to complete a 34-32, 25-15, 25-19 sweep of Romania for its first Pool B win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“The first set wasn’t easy, though, but after that, I think we played at our normal level and we had it under control. Congrats to Romania, I think they’re gonna be a tough opponent to whoever will be standing on the other side of the court,” he said.
Kurek admitted that their nerves got the better of them in the opening set, but was glad they managed to shake it off to fend off the gutsy Romanians and impose their will the rest of the way.
“It’s, you know, you start the very important tournament, you have the jitters, you have the nerves. It will get to anybody, even to our team, which I consider pretty experienced,” said the former FIVB Nations League MVP.
“So, yeah, it’s just that. You have to calm yourself, come back to what you are doing every day in the practice and that’s what we did,” he added.
For the seasoned opposite spiker, getting their first win in the tournament was just the first step toward a much bigger goal.
“It’s way too fast to speak about the medals. First, we have to focus on the group to advance. Every game is super important for the seeding, for our confidence, so I think that we started this tournament like we wanted to.”
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