One of the Most Dramatic Matches in Volleyball History !!! France overcome Poland in a five-set battle!
The first semifinal of the VNL 2024 had Olympic champions France and defending champions and FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland, who clashed in front of over 10,000 fans in Łódź. After many turnarounds and match points for both sides, the French stepped up to win 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 18-16) and silence the crowd at the Atlas Arena.
The VNL 2022 champions, France have secured their fourth medal in the tournament after taking silver in 2018 and bronze in 2021. The semifinal victory also moved them up to fifth place in the World Ranking, with 334.52 points.
Replacing star outside hitter Earvin Ngapeth in the starting lineup, Yacine Louati played an extraordinary match for France, leading all scorers with 21 points (19 kills, one block, one ace). Opposite Theo Faure also shone for the French side, coming off the bench to produce 20 points, all in kills, including the game-winner.
“They served really well in the first two sets and it was pretty tough,” setter Antoine Brizard commented. “Our passers did a great job of not allowing them to score too many aces and that make it difficult for them to keep their level. We just played our game, and were very strong on defense, and I like how we approached the match. We practice hard to play in moments like this and we were fortunate to get the job done.”
Poland also showed depth, with middle blocker Norbert Huber scoring 18 points (14 kills, two blocks, two aces) and opposite Bartlomiej Boładź replacing captain Bartosz Kurek and delivering 13 points, all in kills.
“We had a big chance to win the second set, but we lost focus and lost some important points,” outside hitter Tomasz Fornal reacted. “It’s frustrating, but now we have to clear our minds for the bronze medal match. Playing in an atmosphere like this is something we all grow up dreaming of and I’d like to thank our incredible fans for their support.”
Janusz floats that on to Luati, out of 4!
The catch! Marek's off on 2!
If the fans could get closer, they'd all be cuddling him right now.
Instead, it's his teammates.
That is incredible. And it's 4.
Big changes coming in here.
Tognutti for Brizard, 4 is coming out.
Tilly has come in.
He's like the wolf of Pulp Fiction, isn't he?
You just bring him in to clear up a mess, Kevin Tilly.
And he's straight in the game with a pass and a cool head.
And that is perhaps the most Kevin Tilly point we've ever seen.
Shows he's ready to play from the get-go.
He's straight back out again for 4.
That's fine, job done.
Stop the bleeding. There he is, bouncing in.
Luati.
Oh, listen to this sound.
Good serve by Satorski.
Oh, it's over! Incredible.
Clever now. And Fornal's kept it up.
Janusz, catch Marek.
And the touch by Luati.
Clever now.
Unbelievable.
Janusz has made the touch of the VNL.
No one's made a better dig than this.
No one.
Look where he's gone.
And he's ranked.
Oh, he's ranked the post with it.
Watch Kochanowski.
Oh, watch Fornal.
Just watch and enjoy.
We have just witnessed greatness.
In the deepest of waters.
And it's 0.11, France 8.
Fornal.
France needs something.
And they need something special.
And they need something quickly.
Brizard tees it up.
And tail forward delivers.
That was a great swing from the youngster in that situation.
Finding a gap in the block somehow.
She sums up just about everybody's spirits here.
This is incredible elite sport in a cauldron.
Dubois serves it long.
They have all got their hearts in their mouths, haven't they?
The fans.
Those of you at home watching, supporting.
Probably the same.
And those of you supporting France, thinking, come on.
12-9 now.
What a position.
Kochanowski.
12-10.
France breathe.
Tail forward.
17 points.
Didn't start the game.
France are in this position, in this arm wrestle.
Largely because of his contribution.
And that's a good serve.
On to Fornal.
Janusz Kaczmarek.
Oh, what a block by Cleveno.
That is an absolute stonker of a one-on-one.
12-11.
Timeout called.
Watch for the net, guys.
And we need patience now.
One ball.
An astonishing spectacle.
Sport at its very, very best.
France are not done yet.
He's tier four.
Bednoj gets down.
Bednoj gets up.
And he is matched by Nikolai Legov for 12-12.
Two incredible plays from France.
And a couple of comfortable hits, really, from Poland.
Not being aggressive enough.
Just thinking a swing will do it.
But if you get blocked like this, you cannot cover.
It means that you close the attack.
You have to spike high.
12-12.
The psychology of this is incredible.
Because the job not done for France.
And that will help Poland massively.
Sometimes, especially in these breakers,
you feel as though once you get level,
the momentum's with you.
But it's amazing how quickly that can disappear.
It's a mental tightrope you walk in the whole time.
Kaczmarek.
13-12.
The touch has gone backwards.
Grebennikov gives Klevino a chance.
Zatulski's there.
Janusz is there.
Oh, Bednoj.
Misses long.
So that's in the moment.
He's trying to hit a winner from a really difficult position.
Instead of just get it deep, yes.
Bit of spin on it, yes.
Make it tricky.
So that corner's where he wants to go.
But there we are.
Exactly what Gurevich has just told them not to do in the timeout.
13-0.
Oh, this is going to be cruel for someone to lose.
Klevino, for now, not the best of passes.
Off the hands.
Oh, brilliant.
Klevino.
Grebennikov.
Oh, Brizard can only offer a free ball.
First touch by Huber.
Bednoj.
Oh, goosebumps.
Brizard trying so hard to get a touch.
So hard.
He's so close.
Timeout called on match point.
Gianni with his final words of wisdom.
Bednoj.
For the match.
For a place in the final.
And to end an epic.
Sends it on its way.
Grebennikov.
Oh, squeezes it through.
Oh, Huber turned his back.
It's behind you.
It just went the wrong way.
It turned the wrong way round.
If he'd turned the other way round here.
But he does think he's right.
Where is it?
Keep turning, keep turning, keep turning.
Not too late.
Watch out.
Irving's on.
One match point safe for France.
Zatorski.
Lovely ball.
Over on the first.
Someone's got to play it.
It's Kaczmarek.
It's Janusz.
It's 4-0.
It's match point number two.
Oh, it's such a, such a good swing.
They're in a bit of trouble.
And he's just gone and taken on Schafroth.
Taken on the seam.
That's world class.
Huber.
Has been one of the standouts today.
18 points, 14 attacks, two blocks, two ace serves.
If he can make that three, they're in the final.
Not this time.
Luatti has slipped.
Four!
A laser beam on Luatti.
Those are lucky he is there.
Because we saw one yesterday where the attacker slipped
and they've set to him.
Yeah, they went by.
It was Lima, wasn't it?
Lima went by.
That's right.
And just, yeah, it was on the floor.
Tio4 is playing so well.
Yeah.
Brilliant performance from him.
He's on 19 points now, all attacks.
He's the number one attacker in the game.
And we're going to extras.
Brissard.
Ace service!
Antoine Brissard paints the baseline.
You could hear a pin drop in the Atlas Arena.
And it's comfortably, and that's hoping for it to go out.
What a time to get that.
Match point, France.
Brissard.
Into the net.
But that is a momentum swing.
It is, but Poland now move into a strong series of rotations here.
Janusz in the back row to join where Brissard is with France.
So this is going to be close.
This can't be an error.
Luatzi into Brissard.
It's wide.
It's Konopski.
Out of your picture, everybody.
Cleveland just looking to the entire Polish team went, yeah, it's out.
Match point number two.
They've defended two.
17-16.
Good serve.
What a pass.
Here's the chance.
Brissard out to four.
It's on the floor.
France are in the final.
Oh, my goodness me.
T04 MVP.
Off the bench.
Doing the job for Patryk.
Red and white.
