World No. 1 Poland remained undefeated on the final day of the preliminary phase with a come-from-behind 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After struggling in the opening set, the Poles found their rhythm in the second set and then dominated the third and fourth frames, forcing the Dutch into costly errors. The win allowed Poland to top Pool B with a perfect 3-0 record and advance to the Round of 16.
Team captain Bartosz Kurek was unstoppable, tallying 16 kills, two blocks, and a service ace for a total of 19 points. Meanwhile, 29-year-old outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk contributed 15 points, including four sharp serves that kept the Dutch defense off balance.
“Confidence is always in the same place. We know what we are capable of doing. It is just a matter of showing it on the court,” said the 37-year-old four-time Olympian, whose team will face ninth-ranked Canada, the second placer of Pool G, on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena at 3:30 p.m.
“To be honest, we must expect a very similar game from Canada. They will pressure us from the service line and play smart in attack, so it will be difficult for us to find openings. I hope we will find a way to get through,” he added.
Earlier, Canada fell to Pool G leader Turkiye, 21-25, 16-25, 25-27, settling for second place in the group.
Tomasz Fornal also shone for Poland, contributing 15 points from 10 attacks, three blocks, and two service aces.
For the Netherlands, Michiel Ahyi led the way with 23 points, including 19 attacks, but it wasn’t enough to sustain their early set-one lead. The Dutch will now face Pool G top placer Turkiye at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the MOA Arena.
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