Historic comeback sets up Zawiercie for a date with history in the #CLVolleyM final

Down 0:2 on sets against Jastrzębski Węgiel and with frustration and miscommunication simmering under the lid, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie’s bid to reach their maiden final in the CEV Champions League Men was looking increasingly doomed.

But the Polish side, which already had a magical season, converting all of their eight matches in win so far in the European premium competition, had something brewing.

The big break between the second and the third sets really helped them recover and provide new motivation in their huddle. And when outside hitter Patryk Łaba and opposite Karol Butryn entered the court, everything changed.

“I think that the guys that came in for me and also for Kyle Ensing, the subs that we made really stepped up, did a great job. Not only with their skill and level of play but also I think that they had really good positive energy,” said Zawiercie’s outside hitter Aaron Russell, after the match.

But just how did Zawiercie managed to stage a comeback, after an uneventful performance in the first two sets, when they conceded the said sets, 19:25 and 18:25, and had an attacking efficiency of 38% and 33% respectively, making 14 errors?

“There was a little bit of a strange atmosphere and rhythm with our team in those first two sets. The vibe was off. But I think that those are the most beautiful matches when things are going bad and you're able to turn around and win,” added Russell.

What happened is that Bartosz Kwolek woke up, becoming his team’s top scorer, with 24 points. Butryn, shaking off an injury, which prevented him to play for the last month, scored 13 more points. And Łaba added 10 more.

Zawiercie won the next two sets, 25:20 and 25:19, shifting all the momentum towards their side and leaving Jastrzębski dumbfounded before the last set, which went to the wire.

Jastrzębski had two match points, cancelled by Zawiercie. Then, after seven match points, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie became the first team to make their debut in the semi-finals to qualify for the last act of the European premium competition since Perugia did it, in the 2016/17 season.

“It is a historic moment for us, I told everybody before, just to be here it is amazing. But to make such a comeback, it is absolutely incredible and I am proud of my team,” said Zawiercie’s captain, Mateusz Bieniek.

The Polish side has ticked plenty of boxes this season and will now look for the title, in their high-profile clash against Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia. Their coach, Michał Winiarski, can become the first-ever Polish coach to win the Champions League.

Moreover, Zawiercie can become the first team to win the title with a perfect record since Cucine Lube Civitanova secured the trophy in the 2018/19 season with 12 wins in 12 matches.

And for Russell, the match against Perugia will surely be a special one, having spent three years playing for the Italian side, between 2015 and 2018, while also featuring in the only final lost by the Italian team, in the 2016/17 season.

“I have a lot of good memories from playing there. A lot of the fans too, they're very welcoming to me and so I'm very grateful for their support and I'm excited to play against them for sure. They are a very good team, they can do a lot of damage,” concludes Russell.