Warsaw, Poland, June 5, 2014. The Polish national volleyball team will play in the 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men for the first time in the history of the competition. This coming weekend, in the first leg of the tournament in Pool A, the Poles will face Montenegro at home in two matches, hosted in Milicz on Friday and in Walbrzych on Sunday.
It is the eleventh edition of the men’s European League since its start in 2004. Poland will enter the competition for the first time, while Montenegro made its debut last year finishing in the fifth place.
Both teams have finished their qualification tournaments for the 2015 CEV Volleyball European Championship. Poland advanced to the Final Round as winner of its pool, while Montenegro missed its chance to qualify. In the European League matches, Poland will participate with the second squad of its national team, while Stephen Antiga and his men are competing in this year’s FIVB Volleyball World League, preparing for the highlight of the season, the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014.
The Polish line-up for the 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men was announced at the official pre-tournament press conference:
Setters: Michal Kedzierski, Nikodem Wolanski, Przemyslaw Stepien
Opposites: Bartlomiej Boladz, Maciej Muzaj, Michal Kaczynski
Wing Spikers: Bartosz Bednorz, Jakub Wachnik, Lukasz Kaczmarek, Michal Filip, Slawomir Stolc, Wojciech Ferens
Middle Blockers: Dawid Dryja, Jan Nowakowski, Mateusz Bieniek, Piotr Hain
Liberos: Adam Kowalski, Michal Zurek
Head Coach: Andrzej Kowal
Assistant Coach: Mieszko Gogol
2nd Assistant Coach: Andrzej Zahorski
“Poland’s debut in the European League is instrumental in building the future of our sport. Both our teams are very young, but well aware of how important it is to play wearing the white and red uniform and to lay solid foundations for future success,” said Miroslaw Przedpelski, President of the Polish Volleyball Federation, commenting on the young average age of both the men’s and the women’s national teams in the upcoming competition.
The anticipated volleyball weekend in Poland, with both the men’s and the women’s national teams making their European League debuts together, will feature one more memorable highlight – the 10th edition of Volleyball Alley of Stars, which will take place in Milicz on June 6 and to which all the participating teams are invited. This includes the national women’s teams of Poland and Greece, whose matches are held on the same days and at the same venues. During the ceremony, international volleyball icons such as Andrea Anastasi, Andrea Gardini, Wilfredo Leon and Karch Kiraly will leave their handprints on the Alley of Stars on Milicz’s main square. Poland’s Magdalena Sliwa and Artur Popko will also be among those honored for their sports careers and contribution to development of volleyball.
The 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men features 10 teams, for three of which – Poland, Azerbaijan and FYR of Macedonia, this is the inaugural participation in the competition. In Pool A, Poland will face Montenegro, Greece, Romania and Azerbaijan. Pool B features Austria, Denmark, Macedonia, Slovenia and Turkey. This year the top two teams from each pool will play in home and away semifinals followed by a home and away final to determine the winner.
Schedule of this weekend’s volleyball events in Milicz and Walbrzych:
Friday, June 6, Milicz
14:30: 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Women: Poland vs. Greece @ Hala Sportowa
17:30: 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men: Poland vs. Montenegro @ Hala Sportowa
20:00: Ceremony of the 10th edition of Volleyball Alley of Stars @ city’s main square
Sunday, June 8, Walbrzych
14:30: 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Women: Poland vs. Greece @ Hala Widowiskowo - Sportowa Aqua Zdroj
17:30: 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men: Poland vs. Montenegro @ Hala Widowiskowo - Sportowa Aqua Zdroj
Click here for more info on the 2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men.