The Poles, who before beating the Americans had defeated Bulgaria, Brazil and France in Chicago, got to ten wins and 29 points in the VNL 2026 standings, beating Slovenia for second place. With that, they will face seventh-placed Ukraine in the quarterfinals in Nanjing.
The United States, who were strongly in the race for second place before dropping their last two matches in Chicago, ended up in fifth place with eight wins and 25 points and are set to cross paths with world champions Italy in the first round of the Finals.
Leading the way for the Poles, who counted on massive support in Chicago, which is home to the largest Polish population outside of the country, were opposite Bartlomiej Bołądź, who delivered 16 points (12 kills, three blocks, one ace), and star outside hitter Wilfredo León, who tallied 14 with 11 kills, two blocks and one ace.
"I'm happy that we did a great job this week in Chicago and am very proud of my team," León said. "The many Polish fans who came here today to cheer us on made a big difference. It felt like 80% of the crowd was on our side, and we need to thank them for getting that kind of support on the road. Now we go to the Finals ready to fight and to defend our title. It will be three very difficult matches, but if we can play in the way we did here, we can be the best team."
