| |
 |
|
World League 2005 News
The who's who of Poland
 May
25, 2005 - Poland, who finished seventh in last
year’s World League, are preparing to host
Argentina in the Pool C on the opening weekend
of the 2005 World League starting on Friday
night. With a new captain - Piotr Gruszka
replacing Pawel Zagumny – a new coach with Raul
Lozano and having just come off a 3-2 win in
their final warm-up match before the World
League against Slovakia, the world number seven
is heading into a new era.
Pic: Poland finished fifth at the 2004
Olympic Games
Below are biographies of the Polish squad
1. Michal BAKIEWICZ
Although the 24 year-old wing spiker from the
second best Volleyball team in Poland (PZU AZS
Olsztyn) has been included in the squad, he is
unlikely to play, having caught vein's thrombus
at the end of the Polish Volleyball season where
the 47-capped representative lost the perception
in the fingers and he must undergo long therapy.
However, coach Raul Lozano still hopes to use
Bakiewicz during the final stages of the
competition. Bakiewicz, who is a favourite with
female spectators in particular, is famous for
being temperamental with his impulsive reactions
after each point won giving plenty for the
Polish fans to cheer about.
2. Piotr GACEK
Having moved from AZS Nysa to Pamapol AZS
Czestochowa (3rd place in Polish Volleyball
League 2004/2005) last year Gacek never thought
that in a few months he would receive a call-up
to the Polish national team. Lozano noticed his
good performances in the Polish Volleyball
League and decided to give the 26-year-old
libero a chance on the international stage. Only
185cm tall, Gacek started his career in the
Polish second league as a receiver. Playing as a
libero in Pamapol, he was in superb form nearly
reaching the same level as regular national
libero Krzysztof Ignaczak. As well as Jurkiewicz,
Plinski and Woicki he made his debut in the
national team on May 21, 2005 during the last
warm-up match before the World League (Poland
defeated Slovakia 3-2).
 3.
Arkadiusz GOLAS
At only 24, Golas has become the best Polish
middle blocker following the withdrawal of
Damian Dacewicz, who is sick, and Robert
Szczerbaniuk, who decided to take a break from
the international Volleyball. Golas, who made
his WL debut in 2001, has already risen to some
dizzy heights this season having joined the
Italian Volleyball League for the first time
with Edilbasso&Partners Padwa. The highest
jumping Polish player (365 cm reach in attack)
and Athens Olympian with 57 international caps
is due to marry his fiancée Agnieszka in July.
Pic: Arkadiusz Golas
4. Piotr GRUSZKA
Having participated in 181 official matches for
the Polish national team it is hard to imagine a
Polish first team line up without the Polish
Volleyball League MVP 2004/05. Two weeks ago
coach Lozano named Gruszka as the new Polish
captain replacing Pawel Zagumny. “Grucha” is one
of the most universal players as a receiver,
having played attacker during the Athens
Olympics. After four years of playing in France
and Italy, the Junior European Champion and Best
Scorer from European Championships in 2003 came
back to Poland this season and gained the first
double crown – Polish Championship and Polish
Cup.
5. Wojciech GRZYB
Despite receiving a call-up to the national team
in 2003, Grzyb has only represented Poland in 32
friendly matches and is still longing for a “big
tournament” start. This year however, the
23-year-old middle blocker has a great
opportunity to make his WL debut with the first
team lineup missing three “full-time” middle
blockers – Damian Dacewicz, Robert Szczerbaniuk
and Marcin Nowak.
 6.
Krzysztof IGNACZAK
With 93 internationals under his belt Ignaczak
has become irreplaceable as libero in the
national side. At the beginning of his career
the Athens Olympian used to play as a receiver/wing
spiker, but considering his short height (188)
he had to abandon his career as a front-line
player. An outstanding digger, Ignaczak is less
confident in reception. Next to Gruszka, Murek,
Swiderski, Szymanski and Zagumny, he is a member
of the “gold squad”, which won gold at the
Junior World and European Championships in 1997.
27-year old Ignaczak is the most cheerful member
of the Polish team and sparkling with wit and
always joking, he always has a voice on the
field and beyond it, the same role he plays in
the team of Skra Belchatow – the new Polish
champion.
Pic: Ignaczak in celebration mode
7. Wojciech JURKIEWICZ
Jurkiewicz, 28, first played Volleyball at the
age of 20. Having received his first call-up to
the Polish squad during the 2003 WL, he made his
debut for the national team in Poland’s 3-2
defeat of Slovakia on May 2 1st
this year.
The career of Jurkiewicz hasn’t been a bed of
roses. His Polish club – Morze Szczecin – was
demoted to Division II and the players were
forced to look for new clubs. After moving to
Pamapol AZS Czestochowa he received an Achilles
tendon injury but on his return last season, he
was noticed by Lozano and received the call-up.
8. Lukasz KADZIEWICZ
Together with Arkadiusz Golas and Michal
Bakiewicz, Kadziewicz made his debut for Poland
in 2001. Even though he didn’t create any great
sensation, he turned out to be a very valuable
alternate. During the Olympic Games in Athens he
replaced Dacewicz. The 24-year old middle
blocker started his career in PZU AZS Olsztyn
and although this season he played for Russian
team Gazprom Surgut he is currently looking for
new club. He has represented Poland 38 times.
 9.
Dawid MUREK
From a composed and reserved person off the
court, Murek changes into a real fighter during
matches. He is the kind of person who can lead
the rest of the team by his own example to fight
or even seal the fate of each game.
Next to Piotr Gruszka, he is the only player who
has represented Poland in all seven editions of
the WL (1998-2004) and he has missed only one
match - in the first season.
The 27-year old wing receiver has represented
Poland 164 times and just like Gruszka, Ignaczak,
Swiderski, Szymanski and Zagumny, he was a
member of the “gold squad” from the Junior World
Championships in Bahrajn 1977. Having suffered
an abdomen injury at the end of the Greek season
playing for Panathinaikos, Murek will miss the
first 2-4 matches of the WL.
10. Pawel PAPKE
After representing Poland in 87 official
matches, the leading Polish spiker has recently
suffered a spate of bad luck. Last year as a
result of overstraining his knee, instead of
going to the Olympic Games in Athens, Papke had
to undergo surgery. After a long rehabilitation
he started playing again at the end of the
league season, once again proving that he is a
talent of the highest order. Unfortunately just
before the final series Papke suffered a slight
Achilles tendon injury. Without their best
player, PZU AZS Olsztyn gave the title of Polish
Champion without any fight to Skra Belchatow. In
April, Papke, 28, underwent more surgery which
has ruled him out of the WL.
11. Daniel PLINSKI
The 26-year old middle blocker is, apart from
Gacek and Jurkiewicz, the oldest debutante in
the Polish national team having made his debut
on May 21st this year in the win over Slovakia
3-2. Plinski has played for three Polish clubs,
the most recent being Jastrzebski Wegiel (Polish
Champion in season 2003/04) and was the best
blocker during this year’s Polish season with a
ratio of 0,83 blocks per set. Having pondered
switching to Beach Volleyball he jokes:
“Together with Zbigniew Zukowski we planed to
take part in Swatch-FIVB World Tour tournaments.
After receiving a call-up to our national team I
must have changed our plans, but I can’t say I
regret this”.
12. Andrze j
STELMACH
Stelmach is the oldest (32 years) and the most
experienced player (185 official matches) in the
Poland team and is one of three members (together
with Gruszka and Zagumny) of the Polish 2005 WL
squad who have participated in the Olympic Games
twice - in Athens 2004 and Atlanta 1996. The
leader of that Polish team from nine years ago
was Andrzej’s eldest brother Krzysztof, who
still plays in Italy, where Andrzej used to play
before returning to Poland in 2000. Having
missed out on the 2002 World Championships in
Argentina, because Polish coach Waldemar
Wspanialy decided to chose Pawel Zagumny and
Grzegorz Wagner instead, Stelmach was the first
setter in Athens. Currently it is hard to see
which of these players – Zagumny and Stelmach –
will be the first setter in the WL 2005.
 13.
Sebastian SWIDERSKI
Having arrived for the last training session
before the World League, after competing in
Italy, Swiderski will not play during the first
matches of tournament as doctors have advised
him to take a break due to overstrained knees.
After a impressive season In Italy, clubs from
Italy, Russia and even Japan are rushing for the
27-year old’s signature. A member of the Junior
Gold Squad from Bahrain 1997 Swiderski has
represented the Poland senior team 134 times.
Despite not being impressively tall, the as
“Little Knight” is incredibly vivacious and
always fights till his last breath.
Pic: Swiderski on attack against Greece
14. Grzegorz SZYMANSKI
After a four year absence Szymanski returns to
the Polish national team. Member of the “Gold
squad” from Junior World Championships in
Bahrajn 1997, Szymanski made his debut in the
seniorside in 1998 and since then has
represented Poland 26 times. He was noticed by
Lozano playing for Pamapol AZS Czestochowa this
season in the Polish Volleyball League, where
they were leading for almost the whole of the
regular season. In Papke’s absence Szymanski has
a great opportunity to play in the WL, but the
role of first attacker will be probably reserved
for Wlazly. One week before the beginning of the
WL 2005 by signing a new contract with
Jastrzebski Wegiel, Szymanski became one of the
central figures in the Polish transfer window.
 15.
Michal WINIARSKI
Although all the top Volleyball clubs in Poland
competed for his signature after his last
contract with Pamapol AZS Czestochowa expired,
the 21-year wing spiker signed for an enormous
€100,000 per year with Polish champions Skra
Belchatow recently. “Even though both
Jastrzebski Wegiel and PZU AZS Olsztyn offered
me more money, I decided to chose Skra, because
I want to prove myself in the Champions League,”
Winiarski said. Claimed to be the biggest talent
in Polish Volleyball, “Winiar” has already
represented Poland 11 times. But after the
injuries to Murek and Bakiewicz, Poland’s
youngest representative hopes this year will be
a turning-point in his career.
16. Mariusz WLAZLY
Enormously vivacious, the 21-year old is the
second youngest player in the national team (only
Winiarski is a month and a half younger). Wlazly
spikes the ball on high which is out of reach
for other players – 362 cm. His incredible serve
helped he win the ranking of the Best Server in
the Polish League last year (with an average of
2 aces per match). However he still has to work
on his block and digging. Not very experienced (only
10 matches in the national team) Wlazly is
claimed to be the brightest hope in Polish
Volleyball, especially concerning Polish medal
aspirations at the 2008 Olympic Games. In
Papke’s absence, the Junior World Champion from
Iran 2003 will be the leading attacker for
Poland in the World League.
17. Paweł WOICKI
Along with Winiarski and Wlazly, Wiocki is the
third 21-year-old in Lozano’s team and after the
experienced Stelmach and Zagumny, Woicki is also
the third setter. The player of Pamapol AZS
Czestochowa knows his place though and is glad
to have the possibility of training with the
national team. As he modestly claims, there are
better setters in Poland. In the national team
he distinguish himself with his height. Being
only 182 cm tall, he is totally exceptional. “I
know I am short, but centimetres are not all
that matter” Woicki says. His greatest trump
card is fast, unconventional setting. Together
with Gacek, Jurkiewicz and Plinski, Woicki made
his debut in the national team as Stelmach’s
alternate during the last warm-up match before
the WL on May 21 against Slovakia.
 18.
Paweł ZAGUMNY
One of the most experienced players in the
Polish team (152 official matches), the first
setter, and until recenty also the captain of
the national side, Zagumny still remains a
strong link in the team. Considering his
tendency to speak out, Zagumny induces plenty of
reaction among Polish fans. As a junior player,
Zagumny won European and World Championship gold
medals and was also the youngest representative
in the Polish senior side during the Olympic
Games in Atlanta 1996. Unfortunately, during the
most recent big Volleyball events, he has had to
watch from the stands. Playing in Argentina
during the 2002 World Championships he got
injured and was forced to return to Poland. In
2004 his spine was to be heard once again and
“Guma” could only play the role of an alternate
of Andrzej Stelmach. Now, ahead, of the WL,
Lozano is concerned weather Zagumny’s frail
construction will be able to bear the long and
tiring training sessions.
Pic: Pawel Zagumny sets
|
|
|
Competition Formula