Unbeaten Poles, Dutch clash for top Group B seeding
The clash between The Netherlands and Poland needs no drum-ups, as a common thing they are chasing could make their game one of the best in group play in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.
With both squads already having tickets to the Round-of-16, the Dutch and the Poles will be competing to stay unbeaten and tab top seeding in Group B.
And no side would be willing to budge.
“We are a team [that] doesn’t want to lose,” Pole Wilfredo Leon said after sweeping Qatar. “For sure we’ll try to be on the winning side. They understand how to play with each other during difficult or great moments. The Netherlands is a team that fights back.”
Displays of dominance
The Poles are currently 2-0 in the global competition following displays of dominance against, most recently, the Qataris, and Romania.
In Poland’s last win on Monday, Kamil Semeniuk stepped up with 13 points to aid team ace Bartosz Kurek, who was feeling under the weather.
However, the world’s No.1 volleyball club wasn’t the only team that won via sweep on Monday.
The Netherlands also made easy work of Romania, beating them in straight sets to also rise to 2-0.
And their early results show just how evenly matched both squads are, but Dutch ace Yannick Bak still had some words for their opponents at 6 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
“We have nothing to lose. We can play through it,” Bak said after dropping seven points in their 25-23, 26-24, 26-24 win over the Romanians. “We see it as, ‘they have to beat us,’ not us having to beat them. It will be nice.”
Polish middle blocker Norbert Huber was also adamant in expressing that they feel the same way.
“We are not afraid to face the Netherlands,” Huber said. “We taught ourselves to be the best we can be and with every game, we play better and better.”
