This volleyball player stopped Wilfredo Leon. The unlikely hero of the PlusLiga final

It is worth recalling that the hosts approached Wednesday's match at Arena Sosnowiec with a knife to their throats. It was Bogdanka LUK Lublin who had a 2:0 lead in the series, what's more, coming to the third clash without losing a set in the final.

PlusLiga: Szymon Gregorowicz the silent hero of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie

Coach Michał Winiarski – due to injuries to Karol Butryn and Jurij Gladyr – had to rotate the line-up, due to the statutory and unsurpassed number of foreign players on the pitch. On Wednesday evening, the coach of the Polish vice-champions decided on a variant in which libero Luke Perry was “sacrificed”. The Australian could only watch the final events from the height of the reserve square. And let us add that he is a volleyball player who is rightly considered one of the best, or even the best in his position in the PlusLiga.

Perry in the square, and Szymon Gregorowicz on the court. Even the tournament announcer was surprised by Winiarski's choice, mistakenly reading out the number 4, thinking of the libero. However, Gregorowicz quickly began to prove that on this day his name would be the one that would be complimented by experts, journalists and fans. And probably appreciated by rivals, looking for this opponent as a priority target in their serve. There is probably no need to convince anyone about the striking power from the service court of Bogdanka LUK. The task before Gregorowicz was very difficult.

How did the libero's performance look in the statistics? Gregorowicz was checked 34 times, the most of all the volleyball players on the court. Positive reception at the level of 41 percent, and 18 percent perfect - but in this second statistic - no one shone. That day, looking at both teams, only... Bartosz Kwolek, awarded the MVP statuette, received better (analogously 45 and 18 percent). Opposite Gregorowicz, Thales Hoss received 18 balls, having 28 and 11 percent.

Gregorowicz also did very well in defense and insurance. In defense, 10 effective plays were counted, and additionally three "assists", i.e. effective displays from the field. Several times, the Aluron CMC libero "picked" really difficult balls, whether after attacks - not necessarily decorated with any block - by Wilfredo Leon, Kewin Sasak, later Mateusz Malinowski, or other volleyball players from Lublin.

Coach Winiarski's plan worked. Gregorowicz passed the test, and it is also worth adding that for the volleyball player, the competition with Bogdanka LUK in the final probably has a special meaning. The libero came to Zawiercie from Lublin. The 31-year-old player has already gathered some league experience, but such a serious opportunity, the final, has happened for him for the first time. The question remains whether Gregorowicz will once again withstand the pressure of his rival on Lublin territory.

One thing is certain. Whatever happens, Gregorowicz knows Lublin very well.

Match number four in the game for the PlusLiga gold this coming Saturday (i.e. May 10). This time the competition moves to Lublin. Bogdanka LUK is still in a better position in the series, having a 2:1 lead on their side. However, as Jurajscy Rycerze showed on Wednesday evening , they will certainly do everything to fulfill their dreams of gold. This volleyball battle starts at 5:30 p.m.

The final will be broadcast traditionally on Polsat Sport 1, and online, including via the Polsat Box Go platform.

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