PlusLiga 2024-2025

Emergency call-up for Grozer ahead of second PlusLiga final

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Published 11:45, 03 May 2025

Japan (JPN) vs. Germany (GER) men - Pool C #18176804

Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will try to fight back in the Polish PlusLiga championship playoff against BOGDANKA LUK Lublin with a brand-new trump card. Experienced German star opposite Gyorgy Grozer has joined the team on an emergency medical transfer to replace injured Karol Butryn through the end of the PlusLiga season. Grozer will have the opportunity to help Aluron as soon as Saturday, May 3, when the second game of the best-of-five final series takes place in Lublin, starting at 14:45 local time (12:45 UTC). The second-leg match of the best-of-five third-place playoff between PGE Projekt Warsaw and Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj will be played on Sunday, May 4, at 20:30 (18:30).

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BOGDANKA LUK Lublin v Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie

BOGDANKA LUK Lublin will enter the home court at the HSW Globus with a 1-0 advantage in the series as they hammered out an away 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-21) victory over Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. However, Wilfredo Leon and his teammates will now have to adjust to their opponents’ new look, with legendary 40-year-old Grozer spearheading the team. The German star returns to the PlusLiga for the first time since 2012, when he triumphed as a champion with Asseco Resovia Rzeszow. Grozer arrived from Türkiye’s Arkas Izmir after the team finished the Turkish league season in fourth place. He will now play under the guidance of coach Michal Winiarski, who is also in charge of the German national team.

On the way to the final, Lublin finished the regular season in fourth place on 63 points and a 21-9 win-loss record. They had a tough start to their quarterfinal series, losing at home to ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle in four sets, but then they recovered with two straight-set victories, away and at home, to progress to the semifinals. BOGDANKA and regular season winners Jastrzebski Wegiel exchanged four-set away wins before the squad from Lublin beat the defending champions again at their home venue in four sets to dethrone them and advance to its first ever PlusLiga final. BOGDANKA has never medaled in the PlusLiga, but already has a European trophy in its showcase as it won the CEV Challenge Cup in March.

Reigning national super cup holders Aluron finished the regular season in third place on 72 and 24-6. They were the most convincing team in the quarterfinals, losing only a set in the two matches against Resovia. After trading five-set home victories with Projekt in their semifinal series, Aluron persevered through another five-setter in the deciding third match to celebrate a win on the road and qualify for the gold medal series. Now the club from Zawierce is targeting its first ever PlusLiga crown, after taking the bronze in 2022 and the silver last season.

Both games between Aluron and BOGDANKA during the regular season were decided in tie-breaker fifth sets with the visitors emerging victorious on both occasions. Lublin’s win in the first match of the final series was only the second victory they have ever achieved against this opponent in the overall nine head-to-head encounters they have had in history.

“For us, winning the first match against Aluron CMC Warta was no surprise. We treat what is happening this season as a result of our hard work and we deserve to be where we are now.” Mikolaj Sawicki, outside hitter of BOGDANKA LUK Lublin
“One of the main reasons to join the Jurassic Knights is that I want to help Winiar and the club from Zawiercie. I think Poland is one of the best countries for volleyball, so it's a real pleasure for me to return to the PlusLiga. I hope I'll enjoy it and be able to help the team. I can adapt quickly, even in one day. I'll give it my all and let's hope we win!” Gyorgy Grozer, opposite of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
PGE Projekt Warsaw v Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj

The best-of-five third-place playoff also started off with a straight-set win for the visitors. PGE Projekt Warsaw mastered a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) shutout of Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj to edge ahead in the series, before hosting the second match at the COS Torwar on Sunday.

Projekt scored the highest number of wins during the regular season and finished second on 72 and 26-4. They won both matches of their quarterfinal series against PGE GiEK SKRA Belchatow – 3-0 at home and 3-2 on the road, before yielding to Aluron in the semifinals after three five-set duels. With two silver and two bronze medals on their PlusLiga record, the club from the Polish capital is aiming at its fifth podium.

Four-time Polish champions, including the last two seasons, and recently crowned Poland Cup laureates Jastrzebski Wegiel will try to earn their ninth bronze and overall 17th medal in the history of the national championships. Before being stopped by Lublin in the semifinals, Jastrzebski Wegiel topped the regular season table on 75 and 24-6, and then went on to outplay Steam Hemarpol Norwid Czestochowa in the quarterfinals with a straight-set win at home and a tough 3-2 victory on the road.

The all-time head-to-head record between the two clubs in the PlusLiga stands at 32-21 Jastrzebski Wegiel’s way. This season, the champions claimed a 3-1 home victory over Projekt in October, but the squad from Warsaw took their partial revenge in January with a 3-2 victory at home, and followed up with this week’s sweep of the first game of the series.

“In Jastrzebie-Zdroj, you could feel that we were leading the game. Both teams were also emotionally drained after losing the semifinals. It was hard for us to pull ourselves together after the five-set battles with Zawiercie, but every medal in the PlusLiga is very hard to win. We want to grab this bronze. After all, this is also a fight for the Champions League for next season. We expect a tough fight on Sunday at Torwar.” Jan Firlej, setter of PGE Projekt Warsaw
“The first match showed that our emotions had not yet subsided after the defeat in the semifinal against BOGDANKA LUK Lublin. Now, however, there will be a new match in Warsaw and we will give it our all. We will do everything to even out this rivalry. After all, the series is played to three wins. Everything is still in the game.” Lukasz Kaczmarek, opposite of Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj

PlusLiga 2024-2025 first-place playoff, 2nd leg:
May 3, 14:45 local (12:45 UTC): BOGDANKA LUK Lublin v Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie

PlusLiga 2024-2025 third-place playoff, 2nd leg:
May 4, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): PGE Projekt Warsaw v Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj

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