Fueled by significant support from Polish fans in Chicago, the European squad delivered a commanding performance, sweeping the host United States team.
FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland dramatically reclaimed the top position in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 standings on Saturday with an impressive win over the United States on their home turf.
Playing in front of thousands at the NOW Arena in Chicago, a city with a large population of Polish descent, the visiting team comfortably defeated the Americans in straight sets: 25-20, 25-21, 25-22, in the day`s final match.
The victory`s three points moved Poland back to first place in the standings with 18 points, surpassing Brazil, who had taken the lead on Thursday. Poland and Brazil are set to clash on Sunday at 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) to decide who finishes the second week atop the preliminary phase.
Defeating the United States, ranked third globally before the match, also significantly boosted Poland`s World Ranking points by 7.2, further cementing their leading position worldwide.
Outside hitter Michal Gierżot was a key contributor for Poland, leading all scorers with 15 points (12 kills, three aces). Opposite Kewin Sasak added ten points, while Paris Olympic medalist Aleksander Śliwka scored nine in his inaugural start of VNL 2025.
Śliwka, serving as the Polish captain this week, commented: “Today, my focus was simply on providing energy and confidence to my teammates. This team is truly special, marked by great ambition and belief in themselves. It’s incredible to play here with such immense fan support. Everywhere we go, we see Polish fans, but the atmosphere in Chicago is unique. We saw red and white filling the stadium, even against the home team, which is a genuine privilege.”
For the American side, 22-year-old outside hitter Cooper Robinson was the most effective player with nine points, one more than opposite Kyle Hobus.
Setter Micah Ma’a reflected: “We didn’t have the best start, but we made adjustments, and our players coming off the bench were always ready. Playing Poland here is challenging, yet also the best experience. We wanted the match to go on, but we fought hard until the end, and they are indeed a formidable team.”
Other Matches in Chicago
In the day`s earlier match in Chicago, Brazil secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory (25-22, 21-25, 33-31, 17-25, 15-13) against world champions Italy in a thrilling five-setter.
Sunday`s Schedule
Sunday`s schedule in Chicago includes the highly anticipated match between Poland and Brazil, plus encounters between China and Canada at 12:30 local time (17:30 GMT) and the United States facing Italy at 19:30 local time (00:30 GMT, Monday).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick