Only eight teams, evenly split between four women`s and four men`s squads, are still vying for medals at the U20 Snow Volleyball European Championships held in Karpacz. The remaining contenders include four teams from Poland, two from Ukraine, and one each from Italy and Türkiye.
The women`s team from Türkiye has maintained an impressive undefeated record in Karpacz.
Saturday brought improved weather conditions and an even larger influx of spectators to Karpacz, a renowned resort town nestled in the Karkonosze Mountains. The day featured intense, high-stakes matches that determined which teams would progress beyond the group stage. Poland 1, a team composed of representatives from SMS Spała, clinched a vital tie-break victory against Poland 3. Soon after, Poland 2, comprising Blanka Trawińska, Małgorzata Banaś, Amelia Zagwojska, and Amelia Grzegorowska, secured their first tournament win, also advancing to the next round.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Poland 3 women`s team forfeited their group`s top spot to their compatriots from Poland 1, despite holding a significant five-point lead in a tie-break against Moldova. Nevertheless, all Polish women`s teams successfully navigated the group stage, alongside Ukraine, Moldova, and an undefeated Turkish squad.
Zofia Preweda and Wiktoria Leśniewicz of Poland 1 shared their insights: “The conditions are excellent, though our initial matches were quite challenging. We`re improving with each game, getting more accustomed to the environment. Our tournament preparation was brief and intense, but with half our team experienced in snow volleyball, we were able to adapt our positioning and strategy effectively, which helped us immensely.” As group leaders, they enjoyed the remainder of Saturday`s matches from the sidelines, eagerly awaiting the identification of their semifinal opponents.
The young players captivated the audience with some truly spectacular actions on the court.
Later, it was confirmed that Poland 1 would face Ukraine in the semifinals. The other women`s semifinal will feature Türkiye competing against Poland 3, who had previously dispatched Poland 2 in straight sets during the quarterfinals. Emilia Żurawska, Maria Pietrin, and Wiktoria Surażyńska expressed their surprise and joy at their success: “Two of us attend the same school, while the third lives three hours away from Ostróda, making joint training sessions difficult, especially after losing our fourth player due to injury. Initially, it was tough, but we`ve grown more accustomed to the conditions with each passing match. Snow Volleyball is quite distinct from Beach Volleyball – and since we play in teams of three, there are more strategic possibilities. We came here without pressure or expectations, and now, here we are in the semifinals!”
In the men`s competition, Poland 2 triumphed over Moldova in the match for seventh place, while on the women`s side, Italy secured seventh place by overcoming the Armenian team.
A remarkable four teams from Poland remain strong contenders for the medals.
The day concluded with thrilling men`s quarterfinals where two Polish teams faced Türkiye and Ukraine. Both matches delivered plenty of excitement. Poland 4, consisting of Paweł Zatoń, Damian Dudek, Szymon Wolak, and Dominik Mućka, ultimately overcame Türkiye. Meanwhile, Poland 3, with Filip Gierczyński, Piotr Konatkowski, Robert Kusik, and Tymon Hadryan, had to acknowledge the superiority of Ukraine’s first team.
Semifinal Matchups and Schedule
Looking ahead to the women`s semifinals, Poland 1 is set to play Ukraine, while Poland 3 will challenge Türkiye. In the men`s category, Poland 1 will also meet Ukraine, with Italy facing Poland 4.
The semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, March 9, at 10:10 am. Following these decisive matches, the bronze medal contests and the grand finals will commence at 2:20 pm for the women`s teams and 3:00 pm for the men`s teams.
Note: The original text included an empty blockquote with a citation for Radosław Jęcek, Lord Mayor of Karpacz. As no actual quote text was provided, this section has been omitted in the rephrased article for clarity and conciseness, in line with the request to remove unnecessary elements.
