Poland satisfied with third-place finish: 2011 FIVB World League – Volleyball news
Poland placed third in the 2011 FIVB World League after a good showing in the event. The hosts of the Final Round of the 2011 FIVB World League walked away satisfied by their results in the tournament which completed its run from May 27 to July 10.
The starting phase of the tournament was six weeks long, while the Final Round was played in just four days. The city of Gdansk set up excellent arrangements to accommodate athletes and fans. The Ergo Arena served as the venue for Final Round matches from July 6-10.
Poland was challenged by Team Argentina in the third-place match on Sunday, July 10. National team of Poland performed outstandingly well in the presence of 10,000 spectators, which was composed of mainly native volleyball enthusiasts. Poland ousted their opponents in three straight sets and settled for bronze. They posted 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, and 25-22) on the board to cause some celebration from their home supporters.
Earlier in the semi-final match, Poland was defeated by World number 2, Russia. The hosts had ambitions of playing in the final showdown of the tournament but the Russian squad crushed their hopes. However, the Poles gained a lot of experience in the match against Russia. They didn’t repeat the same mistakes in the next match against Argentina and outshone their opponents. The South American outfit gave Poland a tough match and tried almost every possible tactic to beat Poland. However, home team proved to be better in every respect of the game and put an end to the match in three sets.
The skipper of the Polish team, Piotr Gruszka, was indeed happy with the success. The achievement of gaining his countries first podium finish in the history of FIVB World League had the captain excited. He thanked the enormous support of the local fans, which played a great role in keeping them focused on the target. He said they faced some tough defeats during the tournament but managed to finish the campaign on a good note. Speaking of their last match against Argentina in particular, he stated, “I know what Argentina's team feels like, I felt it before, but I want to congratulate them, because they really played wonderfully throughout the World League. They lost in the end, but they played great.”
Andrea Anastasi, the Head Coach of Poland was satisfied with his team’s performance. He appreciated their team work, which enabled them to beat a strong competitor like Argentina. The Polish coach also admired the efforts of organisers and everyone else involved in making 2011 FIVB World League a successful event.
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