The victory also got the Polish the top spot in Pool G, with eight points, avoiding a duel with Italy in the Round of 16. They will face Belgium instead, with Germany meeting the Olympic champions in the first stage of the elimination rounds, which will have both matches taking place on Saturday, in Bangkok.
Star opposite Magdalena Stysiak was pivotal in the Polish hard-fought victory, topping all scorers with 26 points (23 kills, three blocks) and coming up big for them in key moments of the match. Two other pillars of the team, outside hitter Martyna Łukasic and middle blocker Agniezska Korneluk contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
“It was really difficult,” libero Aleksandra Szczygłowska reacted. “I think that we needed to win a match like this to boost our confidence. We were together in the difficult moments and we know that we can do much more when we play like that. We are here with the goal of winning the tournament, so we’re going to need to face the top teams and take the big steps.”
