Kaczmarek powers ZAKSA to record ninth Poland Cup triumph

Playmaker Marcin Janusz claims MVP award in Sunday’s final

Published 10:06, 28 Feb 2022

Triumphant ZAKSA lift the 2022 Puchar Polski trophy (source: plusliga.pl)

Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle won their third back-to-back and ninth overall national cup trophy in Poland, with opposite Lukasz Kaczmarek and setter Marcin Janusz leading the way in the weekend’s deciding matches at Wroclaw’s Orbita hall.

The defending cup holders, who are also Europe’s reigning continental club champions, hammered out an emphatic 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-19) shutout of current national champs Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj in Sunday’s final, getting back at their opponents for losing last April’s PlusLiga championship series.

Polish international playmaker Marcin Janusz, whose scoring tally included an ace and two kill blocks, had a strong match and was named MVP of the final. His teammate in both ZAKSA and the national team, Lukasz Kaczmarek, topped the charts on a total of 14 points, including three blocks.

Lukasz Kaczmarek and team captain Aleksander Sliwka (source: plusliga.pl)

ZAKSA’s outside hitters Aleksander Sliwka and Kamil Semeniuk, members of the national team as well, also reached double digits, chipping in 11 and 10 points, respectively. The latter fired two aces, while the former achieved three kill blocks.

“You could say that it looked like the easiest meeting. However, it was a match for the trophy, with a lot of pressure and against a classy team like Jastrzebski Wegiel. The victory in such a match is the most important thing, not how it was achieved. An individual award is actually a reward for the entire team. Our team shows particularly well how important teamwork is. This is how we win matches.” Marcin Janusz, setter of Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle and MVP of the Poland Cup final

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ZAKSA’s semifinal on Saturday proved a more difficult encounter. Kaczmarek was on fire, delivering a 24-point match high towards a 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-14) victory over the Trefl Gdansk of Lukas Kampa and Mariusz Wlazly and earning the MVP nomination. In addition to the 20 spiking points he managed at a 59% success rate, his tally included an ace and three stuff blocks. Semeniuk (one ace, one block) and middle blocker Norbert Huber (five blocks) produced 12 points apiece.

In the other semifinal, Jastrzebski Wegiel battled it out for a tight 3-2 (25-14, 25-19, 23-25, 25-27, 15-12) victory over Asseco Resovia Rzeszow. Outside hitter Trevor Clevenot, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist with France, shone in that game. He contributed the match high of 22 points, including five blocks and 17 kills at a 61% success rate in attack, and snatched the MVP honour. Czech international Jan Hadrava added another 21 points (three aces, one block), while Maciej Muzaj was Resovia’s most prolific player on 20.

ZAKSA’s nine Puchar Polski trophies place them on top of the all-time chart. Next down the list are PGE Skra Belchatow and Indykpol AZS Olsztyn with seven national cups each.

The team from Kedzierzyn-Kozle are also having a strong season in Poland’s PlusLiga, currently leading the standings undefeated since the start of the season in 17 matches played.