Perugia power into final in their 100th #CLVolleyM appearance
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Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia celebrated their 100th #CLVolleyM match in style, defeating PGE Projekt Warszawa in straight sets in the semifinal of the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 Men at the Inalpi Arena in Turin to secure a place in their second consecutive final. The defending champions were in complete control throughout the first two sets, while the third delivered plenty of drama before Perugia eventually closed out the match, backed by another composed and efficient team performance. On Sunday, Angelo Lorenzetti’s side will have the chance to fight for the second Champions League title in the club’s history and defend their crown.
PGE Projekt WARSZAWA vs Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA 0-3 (19-25, 20-25, 24-26)
The opening semifinal of the CEV Champions League between PGE Projekt Warszawa and Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia marked the 100th #CLVolleyM match for the defending champions, who made an immediate statement with a powerful counterattack from Oleh Plotnytskyi. Despite making their Final Four debut, Warszawa showed no signs of nerves, going with Perugia point by point through much of the beginning of the set. The Italian side edged ahead early at 8-6 and extended their lead to 12-9 after another strong finish from Plotnytskyi. Warszawa responded well after a timeout, repeatedly closing the gap and staying within touching distance at 13-12, 16-15 and 19-18 thanks to key contributions from Kevin Tillie and Bartłomiej Gomułka (5 and 6 points respectively. Still, Perugia’s composure and attacking efficiency proved decisive. With Simone Giannelli orchestrating play perfectly and guiding his team to a 70% attack success rate in the opening set, the Italians rebuilt their advantage. Wassim Ben Tara led the way with 8 points (80% success). Entering the closing stages, Perugia stretched the lead to 22-18 with a solo block from Giannelli, a skill that ultimately made the difference. Eventually the defending champions closed out the set 25-19.
After a balanced start to the second set, Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia gradually began to take control, moving ahead 9-6 with Wassim Ben Tara once again leading the charge (5 points in the set). PGE Projekt Warszawa tried to respond through Bartosz Gomułka and Kevin Tillie (5 and 4 points respectively), but the defending champions quickly restored their cushion at 13-9. Perugia then tightened their grip thanks to a strong serving run from Agustín Loser (5 points in the set), which included an ace and helped extend the lead to 16-10. Kamil Semeniuk (4 points) also recorded an ace serve, while Warszawa struggled to find solutions for much of the set, though some unforced errors from the Italian reduced the gap. After a successful attack from Knoppers, the Polish side cut the deficit to 3 points at 20-17. Any hopes of a comeback, however, were short-lived. Perugia responded immediately, regaining control at 23-18 before sealing the set 25-20 to move within one set of the final.
The team coached by Angelo Lorenzetti carried their momentum into the third set, racing to an early 6-3 lead. PGE Projekt Warszawa called a timeout, but Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia continued to build their advantage, helped by strong serving from Oleh Plotnytskyi.Warszawa refused to back down and kept battling for every point. After a spike from Jakub Kochanowski, the Polish side reduced the gap to 11-9, but their efforts were met by a near-flawless Perugia performance. Led by Wassim Ben Tara, Agustín Loser and Plotnytskyi - all benefiting from Simone Giannelli’s outstanding distribution — the Italian champions quickly restored control at 16-10. With nothing left to lose, Warszawa mounted one final comeback attempt. Strong serving from Kochanowski, combined with effective attacks from Kevin Tillie and Bartosz Gomułka, helped cut the deficit to 17-14, before Gomułka added an ace to make it 18-16. Moments later, a spike from Firszt brought Warszawa within a single point at 19-18. The closing stages turned into a dramatic battle, with Warszawa refusing to surrender and eventually drawing level at 22-22. A triple block on Plotnytskyi even earned the Polish side a set point at 24-23. But Perugia responded under pressure: Loser produced a powerful spike before Plotnytskyi sealed the victory with an ace, sending the defending champions into Sunday’s final, where they will fight to retain their title.
Wassim Ben Tara finished as Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia’s top scorer with 18 points, all coming from attack at an impressive 62% efficiency. He was supported by Agustín Loser, Kamil Semeniuk and Oleh Plotnytskyi, who each added 10 points.
For PGE Projekt Warszawa, Bartosz Gomułka led all scorers in the match with 19 points at 61% attacking efficiency, while Kevin Tillie contributed 12 points.
Simone Gianneli"I’m very happy because tonight was not easy match. We played against a very strong team in Warszawa, who won bronze in the Polish league, and we knew it would be a difficult. This was a very important game for us, and I’m pleased with the way we approached it emotionally from the very beginning. I’m very happy and proud. Now, though, our focus has to be fully on the final."
team captain of Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia
Kamil Semeniuk"We are very happy with this victory, although we had some problems in the third set. We built a big advantage, but then lost a bit of focus, while Warszawa took their chance and started playing really well to come back and level the score. That pushed the set into a very intense finish, but it was important that we eventually closed the match in three sets."
player of Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia
Kevin Tillie"It was a difficult match for us. They received very well and we didn’t put enough pressure on them with our serve, which allowed them to play their game. In attack, they performed really well. Towards the end of the third set, we managed to become more aggressive and serve better, and that’s where we came back and almost took the set. It’s a pity we couldn’t win it and try to get back into the match. Tomorrow, we just need to play a bit better — more aggressively and more freely. It’s our first Final Four, so it wasn’t easy for us."
player of PGE Projekt Warszawa
Kamil Nalepka"We were missing a bit of aggression on serve, which allowed Perugia to play comfortably, with the ball often delivered perfectly into the third meter. Tactically, though, I think we played a very good match. We knew Ben Tara would receive the highest number of balls, and although we managed to get touches on many of his attacks, we couldn’t stop him consistently. He played a great match, especially in first-tempo situations and on the pipe."
head coach of PGE Projekt Warszawa