Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie: From breakthrough season to a second straight #CLVolleyM Final Four
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From a breakthrough silver season to chasing even greater glory - Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie arrive at the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 - Men Final Four in Torino (May 16-17) as one of Europe’s most consistent forces. After making their mark on the international stage last year, they have taken another step forward this season, dropping only four sets on their way to Torino and confirming their status among the continent’s elite.
The story of Zawiercie’s rise gained momentum last season. In only their second #CLVolleyM campaign, they reached the final, eventually falling to Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, but still securing the first international medal in club history. That silver completed a remarkable season that also brought second place in the PlusLiga and Polish Cup - a campaign that firmly established them among Europe’s top teams.
Heading into their third Champions League season, continuity was key. Only a few changes were made to Michał Winiarski’s squad. Polish national team libero Jakub Popiwczak and Olympic silver medallist Bartłomiej Bołądź strengthened the roster, joining an already well-balanced group featuring Mateusz Bieniek, Miguel Tavares, Aaron Russell, Kyle Ensing, Bartosz Kwolek, Miłosz Zniszczoł and Jurij Gladyr.
Zawiercie’s road to Torino began in Pool D, alongside domestic rivals Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, SVG Lüneburg and Sporting CP Lisboa. They opened their campaign with a strong 3-1 win in the all-Polish clash against Resovia, followed by straight-set victories over Lisboa and Lüneburg. The only setback came in Rzeszów, where they suffered a surprising 0-3 defeat. However, they quickly regained control, winning their remaining matches without dropping a set to finish top of the pool and secure direct qualification to the quarterfinals.
Between the pool stage and the knockout rounds, Zawiercie added another chapter to their growing international résumé. In December, they made their debut at the 2025 FIVB Club World Championship in Brazil and returned home with a historic bronze medal. Shortly after, they experienced disappointment in the Polish Cup, exiting in the quarterfinals against Resovia. Yet in the PlusLiga, they continued to impress, finishing the regular season in first place for the first time in club history.
The #CLVolleyM quarterfinals brought one of the toughest possible challenges - a clash with Cucine Lube Civitanova, another pool winner. But Zawiercie delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round. They stunned Lube with a straight-sets victory in Italy and repeated the feat at home, controlling both matches to secure back-to-back Final Four appearances.
Jakub Popiwczak"We did something huge. If someone had told us we wouldn’t lose a set against Lube, we would have thought they were crazy. But we did it - we dominated this quarterfinal and achieved something great. It felt amazing to secure a place in the Final Four in front of our home crowd and to see the joy of the fans, because we do it for them as well."
player of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
Looking at the numbers, Zawiercie’s precision and balance become even more evident. Miguel Tavares ranks as the second-best setter in the competition with 62.12% efficiency, while three of his teammates feature among the most efficient spikers. Team captain and middle blocker Mateusz Bieniek tops the ranking with an outstanding 71.05% success rate - including an impressive 9/10 (90%) performance in the quarterfinal against Lube. He is followed by Bartłomiej Bołądź (52.17%), while Bartosz Kwolek ranks fourth (50.60%). In terms of scoring, Aaron Russell and Bołądź lead the team with 90 and 83 points respectively, with Bieniek adding 69.
Their domestic campaign has continued in parallel with equal intensity. Following their Champions League success, Zawiercie advanced to their third consecutive PlusLiga final, once again facing Bogdanka LUK Lublin - repeating last season’s decisive clash.
The club’s rise is rooted in a relatively short but dynamic history. Founded in 1972 and reactivated in 2011, Zawiercie steadily climbed through the ranks, reaching the PlusLiga in the 2017/2018 season. Their first medal - bronze - came in 2021/2022, followed by their Champions League debut a year later, where they fell in the play-offs to eventual winners ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. In 2024, they won their maiden Polish Cup and Polish SuperCup. Now, just a few years later, they return to the Final Four not as outsiders, but as a team with experience, confidence, and ambition.
From breakthrough to consistency, from silver to new ambitions - Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie arrive in Torino ready to take the next step in their remarkable journey.