Poland beats Finland 4-0 in Gdańsk friendly ahead of EuroVolley 2026 title defence

Four-set sweep at Ergo Arena

Poland defeated Finland in a friendly men's volleyball match on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at Ergo Arena on the border of Gdańsk and Sopot. The Polish team secured a 3-0 victory in regular sets with scores of 25:21, 28:26, and 25:19. Under a pre-match agreement between the coaching staffs to play an extra frame if the contest ended in three sets, the teams contested a fourth set, which Poland also won 25:21. Finland challenged the hosts in the opening set, leveling the score at 18:18 before Poland used strong net blocking and finishing from opposite Bartłomiej Bołądź to pull ahead. The second set developed into a tight contest after Finland wiped out an early 3:0 Polish lead and moved ahead 16:15. Poland head coach Nikola Grbić took a timeout at 20:21 down, after which middle blocker Jakub Majchrzak equalized, and Tomasz Fornal helped turn away a Finnish set point before a Polish block sealed the frame at 28:26.

Squad rotation and individual scoring

The third set saw Poland take control early with a 4:0 run, extending the advantage to 13:6 as Finland committed unforced errors against aggressive Polish defending. Grbić used the opportunity to cycle through his entire roster across varied tactical configurations. Outside hitter Aleksander Śliwka entered in the third set and produced nine points, while opposite Kewin Sasak recorded six points in relief. Opposite Bartłomiej Bołądź led all Polish scorers with 12 points, supported by Tomasz Fornal with eight points and Jakub Majchrzak with seven points. Starting outside hitter Wilfredo Leon scored three points, alongside three points from Jakub Nowak and one point from Szymon Jakubiszak. Finland, coached by Olli Kunnari, relied on strong backcourt defence from libero Voitto Koykka throughout the evening before Poland closed out the fourth set by a four-point margin.

Preparation record heading into EuroVolley

The test match served as the final on-court rehearsal for Poland ahead of their title defense at the European Championship. It followed an undefeated campaign in late August at the 23rd Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial in Kraków, where Poland beat Slovenia 3:2, the United States 3:1, and Olympic champion France 3:1. The team had also claimed victory earlier in the season in the Volleyball Nations League. Finland entered the Gdańsk fixture after winning the European League, marking the first encounter between the two men's national teams since the 2021 European Championship, where Poland recorded a 3:0 sweep. Grbić managed his first fixture against Finland as Poland head coach, testing backup setter Jan Firlej and libero Maksymilian Granieczny alongside starters Marcin Komenda and Jakub Popiwczak.

Group stage layout in Sofia and Tampere

The 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship takes place from 9 September to 26 September across four host countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, and Italy. Poland will compete in Pool B in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, facing Portugal, Israel, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. The Polish team opens its tournament campaign on Thursday, 10 September, against Portugal at 15:00. The top four teams from each group qualify for the round of 16 knockout stage. Finland will play their Group C matches on home soil in Tampere as one of the tournament co-hosts.