The Cuban national volleyball team achieved a remarkable upset, defeating the top-ranked Polish team in front of their home crowd of 9,000 fans, a victory that significantly strengthens their position in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 standings.
As the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase entered its decisive third and final week in Gdańsk, Cuba arrived with a clear objective: secure crucial wins to qualify for the tournament`s Finals. They delivered on this ambition spectacularly on Thursday, building on their hard-fought five-set victory against direct rivals Bulgaria the previous day.
In a truly stunning display, Cuba overcame the FIVB World Ranking leaders, Poland, with a commanding 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 26-24) at the Ergo Arena. This win, achieved before a passionate home crowd of over 9,000 Polish supporters, marks Cuba’s first triumph over Poland since 2010 and significantly boosts their qualification prospects.
The three points earned from this remarkable win were critical for the Cubans, enabling them to remain within the qualification zone for the Finals. They currently hold the seventh position with six wins and 18 points, trailing only fifth-placed France and sixth-placed Ukraine due to a slightly lower set ratio. Poland, despite the loss, maintains their fourth position with seven wins and 20 points.
Outside hitter Marlon Yant was once again a dominant force for Cuba, leading the team with a match-high 18 points, accumulated from 15 kills, two aces, and one crucial block. He received strong support from opposite Jose Masso (15 points), outside hitter Miguel Ángel López (12 points), and middle blocker Javier Concepción (10 points), all of whom contributed double-digit scores.
“It was not a surprise for us because we always fight a lot,” stated Javier Concepción after the match. “Our goal today was to keep our level high the entire time, and we were so happy with the victory; there was a lot of emotion at the end. But this is just one small step, and we still have a long way to go. We’re happy with it, but it’s not done yet.”
For Poland, opposite Kewin Sasak and outside hitter Tomasz Fornal each contributed 11 points. Fornal`s tally included seven kills, two aces, and one block.
Earlier on Thursday in Gdańsk, Iran secured a straightforward 3-0 victory over China (28-26, 25-21, 25-17). The upcoming schedule at Ergo Arena on Friday will feature Cuba meeting France at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), followed by China facing Bulgaria at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Slovenia Continues Strong Bid, Sweeps Netherlands
Cuba`s otherwise perfect day was slightly impacted by Slovenia`s decisive 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-19, 25-21) over the Netherlands in Ljubljana, which allowed them to remain close behind Cuba in the standings.
Slovenia now holds eighth place with six wins and 17 points, with two more home matches scheduled to conclude the week. Conversely, the Netherlands remains in a precarious 17th position with only one win and five points, facing significant relegation concerns.
Mirroring their performance against Canada on Wednesday, Slovenia`s victory was spearheaded by impressive contributions from opposite Tonček Štern (12 points) and outside hitters Rok Možič (11 points) and Žiga Štern (11 points).
“We’re very happy to have won our first two matches in front of our fans,” remarked Rok Možič. “We’re still close to qualifying and that’s our main goal for the week. We have two more matches and I’m sure we’re going to have even more people on the stands over the weekend.”
Silvester Meijs, an opposite for the Netherlands, was the sole Dutch player to reach double figures in scoring for the match, contributing ten points (seven kills, two blocks, one ace).
The day’s opening match in Ljubljana saw Italy edge out Ukraine in a five-set thriller, winning 3-2 (25-15, 25-20, 16-25, 23-25, 15-10). Friday’s schedule in Ljubljana includes Ukraine versus Serbia at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), with the Netherlands then facing Canada at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick