Poland delivered a powerhouse performance by defeating Japan 3–0 (25:23, 26:24, 25:12) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
With this victory, the Polish squad advanced to the semifinals, where they’ll face Brazil on Saturday.
The opening two sets were tightly contested, showcasing the high skill level on both sides. Japan jumped out to an early lead in the first set, capitalizing on sharp serves from Kento Miyaura. However, Poland stayed composed. A serve run from Jakub Kochanowski brought them back into the game, and the Poles closed it out 25:23 after forcing Japanese errors late in the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Poland started strong, but Japan caught up midway, evening the score at 16–16. The set went into extra points, and it was once again Kewin Sasak who stepped up, scoring a critical point and sealing the set with a block for a 26:24 win.
The third set saw Poland hit top gear. With dominant blocking, aggressive serving, and Japan struggling to respond, the Poles raced to a double-digit lead. The match ended in emphatic fashion as Kamil Semeniuk sealed the win with a powerful spike, closing the set 25:12.
Kewin Sasak led Poland with 15 points, while Tomasz Fornal contributed 11. Japan’s top scorer was Kento Miyaura with 17 points. Poland’s blocking game was particularly effective, outscoring Japan 14–3 in that area.
This was the only quarterfinal match of the VNL to end in a straight-sets victory.
Final Score:
Poland 3–0 Japan
Set Scores: 25:23, 26:24, 25:12
Some numbers:
- Top Scorers: Sasak (15), Fornal (11) for Poland; Miyaura (17) for Japan
- Blocks: Poland 14, Japan 3
- Errors: Japan 24, Poland 16
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