Volleyball: Poland into quarter-finals of women's European Championship
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
01.10.2015 12:29
Poland beat Belarus on Wednesday night in a thrilling five-set clash in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, winning the play-off in a tiebreaker 3-2 (25-17, 25-13, 22-25, 20-25, 15-12).
Polish players celebrate victory over Belarus in Rotterdam. Photo: PAP/Maciej Kulczyński
Poland will now go on to play the Netherlands in a battle to make the semi-finals.
“We started the match very strongly,” said Polish player Katarzyna Skowrońska-Dolata after pulling through the tiebreaker 15-12.
“But then we lost concentration and almost destroyed our chances of getting through.
“I think the team has gained a lot of experience with this encounter,” she added.
“I can't wait for the match against the Dutch.”
However, the quarter-final will be no walkover, with the Dutch playing in front of a home crowd.
What's more, the Netherlands trounced Poland 3-1 in the first phase of the tournament, meaning that the Poles will have to pull something exceptional out of the bag to turn the tables on Thursday evening.
The championship, which is being co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium, wraps up in Rotterdam on 4 October. (nh/rk)