UNI Opole survive five-set battle and make it to the semifinals for the first time

It took UNI Opole three matches and five sets in the last and decisive one, but they made history on Tuesday and will play in the Tauron Liga semifinals for the first time in 2025-2026.

The third-best team in the tournament's regular season, they completed their comeback after going down to ITA TOOLS STAL Mielec in the first round of the quarterfinals and won their best-of-three series with a dramatic 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 25-12, 15-11) victory in Opole.

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Part of the Polish elite since 2021-2022, UNI Opole made it past the quarterfinals, where they stopped in two of their first four Tauron Liga campaigns, for the first time.

The five-set battle in Opole made two players from the winning side reach the 30-point mark in the duel. The older sister of beach volleyball Olympic and world champion Jonatan, Swedish outside hitter Hanna Hellvig was outstanding and left the court with 34 points (29 kills, three aces, two blocks) to her name.

The match's MVP award went to veteran opposite Katarzyna Zaroślinska-Król, who tallied 30 points (25 kills, five blocks).

STAL Mielec were led in the decisive match by outside hitter Anna Bączyńska, who scored 23 points, with 22 kills and one block.

Tauron Liga - Match Schedule & Results

Now with the lineup completed, the Tauron Liga semifinals will begin this weekend. The first best-of-three series, reuniting KS DevelopRes Rzeszów and BKS BOSTIK ZGO Bielsko-Biała, starts on Friday. The next day, UNI Opole face PGE Budowlani Łódź for the first time.

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