Poland faces Japan in must-win VNL group finale to reach Finals

The road to Osaka

Poland arrived at the Osaka tournament with a 7-4 record and 19 points, level with Japan. Both sides had identical win totals, making their head-to-head meeting the de facto knockout for one of the seven available Finals berths. China, as host, already held a guaranteed spot, leaving only seven places for the rest of the field. The tight standings meant Sunday’s result would likely decide which team extended its season.

Three matches, two defeats

Poland opened the Osaka leg with a 1-3 loss to Turkey on Wednesday. The following day they rallied to beat the United States 3-2 in a tie-break, a result that brought them close to qualification. That momentum was halted on Saturday when Brazil handed them a 1-3 defeat, undoing some of the progress and setting up a winner-takes-all scenario against the host nation.

We all know what's at stake in this final match. It might turn out that the match against Japan is a decisive one, so we'll do everything to win it. I personally think that if we play the same volleyball as against Brazil, I'm confident we'll take the qualification from here.

The qualification picture

Seven teams plus hosts China will compete in the VNL Finals. After 11 matches, Poland and Japan were locked on 19 points from seven wins and four losses. A victory would guarantee passage; a defeat could leave the loser dependent on other results. Coach Stefano Lavarini’s squad had shown resilience all tournament, but the Osaka swing has been unforgiving, with only one win from three outings before the decider.

What comes next

A win in Osaka secures Poland’s place in the VNL Finals, where they would join the world’s top seven nations chasing the title. A loss would end their campaign, with Japan overtaking them in the table. The match was scheduled for Sunday afternoon local time, and the entire Polish contingent knew the maths: win and they are in, lose and they go home.