TEAM COMPOSITION

POL / Poland - Team Composition

Team manager	KASPRZYK Jacek
Head coach	SWIDEREK Alojzy
Assistant coach	POPIK Wieslaw
Doctor	GACA Michal
Therapist / trainer	KOSSAKOWSKI Szymon
Journalist	WOJTANIA Marcin

	No.	Name	Lastname	Shirt Name	Birthdate	Height	Weight	Spike	Block
	1	Anna	Podolec	Podolec	30.10.1985	193	71	318	305
L	2	Krystyna	Strasz	Strasz	24.07.1987	165	55	0	252
	3	Karolina	Kosek	Kosek	28.06.1985	183	68	305	284
	4	Izabela	Belcik	Belcik	29.11.1980	185	65	304	292
	5	Berenika	Okuniewska	Okuniewska	18.03.1988	188	72	310	302
	6	Agnieszka	Bednarek-Kasza	Bednarek-Kasza	20.02.1986	185	71	310	295
	7	Joanna	Kaczor	Kaczor	16.09.1984	191	64	305	290
C	8	Katarzyna	Skorupa	Skorupa	16.09.1984	183	69	302	296
	9	Ewelina	Sieczka	Sieczka	26.01.1988	182	68	308	280
	10	Kinga	Kasprzak	Kasprzak	12.06.1987	188	76	310	295
	11	Anna	Werblinska	Werblinska	14.05.1984	178	66	308	292
	12	Izabela	Zebrowska	Zebrowska	23.02.1985	186	77	300	283
L	13	Paulina	Maj	Maj	22.03.1987	166	58	277	255
	14	Joanna	Wolosz	Wolosz	07.04.1990	181	65	303	281
	15	Katarzyna	Gajgal	Gajgal	21.09.1981	190	85	300	287
	16	Elzbieta	Skowronska	Skowronska E	06.07.1983	183	71	305	280
	17	Katarzyna	Skowronska-Dolata	Skowronska	30.06.1983	189	75	314	296
	18	Maja	Tokarska	Tokarska	22.02.1991	193	72	303	292
	19	Monika	MARTALEK	MARTALEK	14.05.1990	187	72	310	289
	20	Klaudia	Kaczorowska	Kaczorowska	20.12.1988	184	68	303	281
	21	Paulina	GLAZ	GLAZ	04.01.1994	184	72	303	287
	22	Zuzanna	CZYZNIELEWSKA	Czyznielewska	24.04.1992	186	69	300	279
	23	Iga	CHOJNACKA	CHOJNACKA	21.04.1994	183	68	300	280
	24	Agnieszka	KAKOLEWSKA	KAKOLEWSKA	17.10.1994	197	75	309	295
	25	Dorota	Wilk	Wilk	28.04.1988	178	66	290	0

C=Captain L=Libero

Team profile

The Polish women’s team was founded in 1947 and they earned Olympic bronze medals in 1964 and 1968. But the last three decades have been less successful.

Things changed in 2003 when Ryszard Andrzej Niemczyk was welcomed back as coach after a break of 26 years, bringing a renewed spirit to the team.

The Poles pulled off a huge surprise at the 2003 European Championships, toppling hosts Turkey in straight sets in the final. Malgorzata Glinka was honoured as Best Scorer, while captain Magdalena Sliwa was named Best Setter.

Poland defended their European title in 2005 but then encountered problems, with coach Niemczyk having to retire due to health problems.

He was succeeded by Marco Bonitta and in May 2008 Poland qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 30 years.

Under Jerzy Matlak, the Poles took bronze at the 2009 European Championship and finished a creditable eighth at the 2010 World Championship, their best placing since the 1970s.

Coach profile

Alojzy Swiderek played with a number of top Polish clubs, winning a Polish Championship medal in 1975. In 1981, he was named Player of the Year by Przeglad Sportowy. He played 34 times for Poland. In 2001, as an assistant coach to Andrzej Niemczyk, the Polish women’s team won their first gold medal at the European Championship. In 2006, while assisting Raul Lozano, the Polish men’s team took silver at the World Championship. Meanwhile, he coached Winiary Kalisz to the Polish Championship in 2005. On Dec. 6, 2006, he was awarded the Cavalier's Cross of Merit for outstanding achievements in the development of Polish sport.