In the decisive match of the #EuroVolleyU22M Pool D qualifier, the Latvian men`s national team suffered a 0-3 (22-25, 17-25, 19-25) defeat to powerhouse Poland on Saturday at the Daugavpils Olympic Centre. This result saw Latvia finish third in their group. Poland, however, secured first place with this victory, earning their ticket to next year`s #EuroVolleyU22M Final Round in Portugal.
Match Overview
In the first set, the Latvian volleyball players initially fell behind but managed to stabilize their play. A powerful serve by Marats Selivanovs led to a successful block by Nikita Dmitrijevs (12:12), and an ace from Armands Rokjāns even put Latvia ahead at 15:14. However, Poland responded with three consecutive points, including a block by Mateusz Kowalczyk. Ultimately, the hosts lost the first set 22-25.
The second set started poorly for the Latvians: Bartłomiej Potrykus`s serve quickly extended Poland`s lead to 4:8. Latvia couldn`t close the gap, and after an ace and a powerful spike from Potrykus, the deficit grew to seven points. The set concluded with a 17-25 defeat for Latvia.
In the third set, the score was last tied at 10:10 when Polish player Wojciech Gajek served into the net. Latvia then fell behind again, trailing 15:19 after a successful transition attack from Gajek. The final rally of the match ended with Danila Mironovs serving out of bounds, sealing the 19-25 loss.
Latvia`s top scorers were Kristers Landzāns (16 points), Armands Rokjāns (11), and Leo Aleksandrs Stolcs (eight points, including two blocks). For the Polish team, Wojciech Gajek and Bartłomiej Potrykus were particularly outstanding, scoring 20 and 13 points respectively.
In the other Group D match, Israel confidently defeated Croatia 3-0 (25-15, 27-25, 25-18), securing second place with two wins and seven points.
Coaches` Reactions
“How did we manage to win? It was tough, but we worked for almost a month to qualify for this European Championship. All the players showed fantastic performance. We improved in almost all aspects, and I believe that led to our success. And, of course, we have a great atmosphere and strong team spirit. You always need to stay focused, because at this level, anyone can win if you lose concentration,” shared Poland`s head coach Piotr Graban. “In the final tournament, we are aiming for medals. Of course, everyone dreams of gold, and we will try to win it. But any spot on the podium would be a great achievement.”
When asked about the qualification tournament and its organization, the Polish coach noted: “I must admit, I had never been to Latvia before, and it’s very pleasant here. I like the architecture and the abundance of greenery — it`s very inviting. The tournament`s organization level was good, and the sports hall was perfectly suitable for this kind of qualification event. Perhaps it`s a little sad that the stands weren`t full, but I hope next time the arena will be packed. Everything was top-notch. Everything we needed was available, for which we are very grateful.”
Latvia`s head coach Mārcis Obrumanis commented: “To compete with a team like Poland, we need to improve in all elements of the game. Today our attacking was quite effective, but we faced difficulties in serve reception, which prevented us from staying in the game longer and putting up a tougher fight.”
Regarding his players` prospects, Obrumanis added: “This age group has twice previously qualified for the European Championship final tournament. So, that`s a kind of quality indicator. Yes, perhaps this cycle didn`t go as we had hoped. But these guys definitely have potential for growth.” He concluded: “Soon, the senior national team will have very good material to work with. The U22 team is already close to the senior level, so several players will definitely make their mark there in the near future.”
