Will third time be the charm for Jastrzebski?

After two consecutive continental silvers for JSW Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj, is it time for the Polish team to conquer their first men’s CEV Champions League Volley crown? To find out, volleyball fans will have to be patient for a few more days, as the 2025 Final Four event in Lodz, Poland is coming up next week, from May 16 to 18.

Jastrzebski Wegiel made it among the last four of the Champions League for the third consecutive and fifth overall time. In 2011, they finished fourth. In 2014, they got the bronze. In 2022, when no bronze medal match was held, they finished a joint third. And in 2023 and 2024, they made it to the final and picked up silver. However, they never made it all the way to the top, but who knows – maybe the upward trend will continue and 2025 will be the year when Jastrzebski Wegiel are crowned European champions.

Jastrzebski Wegiel made it among the last four of the Champions League for the third consecutive and fifth overall time. In 2011, they finished fourth. In 2014, they got the bronze. In 2022, when no bronze medal match was held, they finished a joint third. And in 2023 and 2024, they made it to the final and picked up silver. However, they never made it all the way to the top, but who knows – maybe the upward trend will continue and 2025 will be the year when Jastrzebski Wegiel are crowned European champions.

The Polish heavyweights went through the pool stage of this year’s edition undefeated in six matches played to qualify straight to the quarterfinals, where they recovered from a five-set loss at Olympiacos Piraeus with a shutout of the Greek powerhouse at home and progressed to the Final Four. On Saturday, May 17, at 14:45 local time in Lodz, Jastrzebski Wegiel will engage in an all-Polish semifinal clash with Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie.

The club from Jastrzebie-Zdroj and their head coach Marcelo Mendez can rely on an international squad of high-caliber players, who can make the difference in any match. To name a few, prominent French playmaker Benjamin Toniutti is their lead setter, Lukasz Kaczmarek is the main opposite, the outside hitters include the likes of Tomasz Fornal, Frenchman Timothee Carle and Argentinean Luciano Vicentin, Norbert Huber and Germany’s Anton Brehme headline the middle blockers, while Jakub Popiwczak highlights the libero department.

At home in Poland, Jastrzebski Wegiel recently captured the Poland Cup trophy, the second in the club’s history. They finished on top of the PlusLiga regular season standings. However, they failed to defend the title, as they were eliminated in the semifinals by CEV Challenge Cup winner BOGDANKA LUK Lublin. Currently, Jastrzebski are in the race for the PlusLiga bronze.

In addition to the two Poland Cup crowns, Jastrzebski Wegiel’s showcase features four national titles and two national super cup trophies, as well as silver medals from the 2011 FIVB Men’s Club World Championship and the 2009 CEV Challenge Cup.