Only eight teams—comprising four women`s and four men`s squads—are left in the running for medals at the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships taking place in Karpacz. The remaining contenders include four teams from Poland, two from Ukraine, and one each from Italy and Türkiye.
Karpacz, a popular resort in the Karkonosze Mountains, welcomed even more favorable weather and a larger audience. High-stakes matches were played throughout the morning to determine group stage advancements. Poland 1, featuring players from SMS Spała, secured a vital tie-break victory against Poland 3. Soon after, Poland 2 (comprising Blanka Trawińska, Małgorzata Banaś, Amelia Zagwojska, and Amelia Grzegorowska) claimed their first tournament win, also securing progression to the next stage.
Despite holding a five-point lead in a tie-break against Moldova, the Poland 3 women`s team dramatically lost their group`s top position, conceding it to Poland 1. Nevertheless, all Polish women`s teams advanced from the group stage, joined by Ukraine, Moldova, and Türkiye, the latter remaining undefeated in Karpacz.
Zofia Preweda and Wiktoria Leśniewicz from Poland 1 shared their thoughts, stating, “The conditions are excellent, though our initial matches were challenging. We`re adapting and improving with each game. Our preparation for this event was brief and intense, but having half our team experienced in snow play greatly aided our positioning and game organization.” As group leaders, they enjoyed the rest of Saturday observing matches from the stands, awaiting their semi-final opponents.
Later, it was confirmed that Poland 1 would face Ukraine in the semi-finals. The other women`s semi-final match will see Türkiye competing against Poland 3, who had previously defeated Poland 2 in straight sets during the quarterfinals. Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, and Wiktoria Surażyńska, celebrating their advancement, remarked on their journey: “Two of us go to the same school, while the third lives three hours from Ostróda, making joint training sessions challenging, especially after losing our fourth player to injury. It was tough initially, but we`ve adapted to the conditions with each match. Snow Volleyball differs significantly from Beach Volleyball, and playing in teams of three offers more tactical possibilities. We arrived with no pressure or expectations, and now we`re in the semi-finals!”
In the men`s seventh-place match, Poland 2 triumphed over Moldova. Similarly, in the women`s bracket, Italy secured seventh place by defeating Armenia.
The day concluded with thrilling men`s quarterfinals where two Polish teams faced Türkiye and Ukraine. Poland 4 (composed of Paweł Zatoń, Damian Dudek, Szymon Wolak, and Dominik Mućka) successfully eliminated Türkiye. However, Poland 3 (featuring Filip Gierczyński, Piotr Konatkowski, Robert Kusik, and Tymon Hadryan) conceded victory to Ukraine`s formidable first team.
For the women`s semi-finals, Poland 1 will compete against Ukraine, and Poland 3 will challenge Türkiye. In the men`s category, Poland 1 is set to play Ukraine, while Italy will face Poland 4.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 9, at 10:10 AM. Following these, the bronze medal matches and finals will commence at 2:20 PM for women and 3:00 PM for men.
