Projekt emerge as new PlusLiga leaders, Chelm shock ZAKSA

Just three days after suffering a shocking defeat at Steam Hemarpol Politechnika Czestochowa, then at the bottom of the table, ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle suffered yet another shocking blow, losing at home to PlusLiga rookies InPost ChKS Chelm, also at the bottom of the table at the time of the match. Meanwhile, the current standings in the men’s volleyball PlusLiga in Poland have a new leader after last season’s bronze medalists PGE Projekt Warsaw pocketed the three points from their home game against PGE GiEK SKRA Belchatow, as the 13^th leg of matches was completed over the weekend.

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In the weekend opener on Friday evening, PGE Projekt Warsaw achieved a 3-1 (25-14, 31-29, 20-25, 25-18) victory over their visitors PGE GiEK SKRA Belchatow and improved to 28 points and a 10-2 win-loss record, enough to take first place in the table, even with a game in hand. Projekt jumped four spots up the chart and SKRA was one of the teams they surpassed to push them down to fourth place on 27 and 9-4. German opposite Linus Weber led the way with 19 points. Outside hitter Bartosz Bednorz added another 16, while the Most Valuable Player (MVP) nomination went to Projekt’s setter Jan Firlej. Middle blocker Bartlomiej Lemanski raised five kill blocks to lead SKRA with a total of 17 points.

In one of Saturday’s matches, ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle were stunned at home by InPost ChKS Chelm. The PlusLiga rookies took a surprising 3-1 (32-34, 25-23, 25-21, 25-20) victory and pushed up and away from the very bottom of the standings, climbing two spots to 12^th place on 9 and 3-9, with a game in hand. ZAKSA stayed in ninth place, but now as many as five points away from the playoff zone, on 16 and 5-8. Chelm’s opposite Remigiusz Kapica and outside hitter Amirhossein Esfandiar shared the top scorer honors with 22 points apiece, and the MVP award went to the Iranian player.

Chelm overtook both Steam Hemarpol Politechnika Czestochowa and Cuprum Stilon Gorzow Wielkopolski, who lost their home games on Sunday. After their stunning home victory over ZAKSA on Wednesday, Steam are now back to the bottom of the standings, in 14^th place on 8 and 2-11. Their visitors Energa Trefl Gdansk beat them in straight sets, 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-19), and improved to 21 and 8-5 in eighth place. Trefl’s German opposite Tobias Brand contributed three kill blocks, one ace and eight kills in attack, and was named MVP. Opposite Damian Schulz produced a team-high 13 points, while his Czech counterpart produced a match-high 16 points for the home team.

Meanwhile, JSW Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj claimed a 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18) road win at Cuprum Stilon to improve to 24 and 9-4 in seventh place. The team from Gorzow Wielkopolski dropped to second from the bottom, 13^th place on 8 and 2-11, and a better set ratio than Steam. Outside Nicolas Szerszen led Jastrzebski Wegiel with 19 points and earned the MVP prize. Cuprum Stilon’s Brazilian opposite Chizoba Neves tallied a match-high 25 points.

In another match, relevant to the scuffle near the bottom of the table, Slepsk Malow Suwalki put together a 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-20) home victory over Barkom Kazhany Lviv and overtook the Ukrainian team in the standings. Slepsk Malow are up in 10^th place on 11 and 3-10, just above Barkom Kazhany, 11^th on 10 and 3-10. The winners’ opposite and captain Bartosz Filipiak contributed a match-high 26 points and received the MVP honors.

In the upper half of the table, Indykpol AZS Olsztyn produced a 3-1 (25-18, 14-25, 27-25, 25-20) home win over Asseco Resovia Rzeszow on Saturday to improve to 25 and 8-4 in sixth place, with a game in hand. Resovia fell to fifth on 26 and 9-4. Indykpol’s German outside Moritz Karlitzek led the way with 21 points and snatched the MVP recognition.

The first half of the regular season will come to an end on Tuesday, December 23, with two remaining 12th-leg fixtures.

PlusLiga 2025-2026 upcoming matches:
Dec 23, 17:30 local (16:30 UTC): InPost ChKS Chelm v Indykpol AZS Olsztyn
Dec 23, 20:00 local (19:00 UTC): BOGDANKA LUK Lublin v PGE Projekt Warsaw

PlusLiga 2025-2026 schedule and results

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