Victory for IBB Polonia at the season closer

On Saturday, 9th April, IBB Polonia London played the final match of the 2021/22 season against Sheffield Hallam at their home venue. After a great show, the hosts won the game 3-1 under the watchful gaze of Greg Niski. The three points does not alter the fifth position in the table.

The home team started the match very motivated. The players wanted to put on the best show possible for the gathered fans at the last match of the season. The first two sets were totally under control of Niski’s players which they won to 15 and 16 points. The third set began in similar fashion, with IBB Polonia in ruthless form, but following a few personnel changes by Niski, five juniors were given court time and this was enough to destabilise the team and the visitors squeaked the set 23-25. The final set looked more like a volleyball exhibition set, with the Londoners demolishing the visitors 25-8 thanks to some serving rockets and monstrous blocking. The gathered fans were able to put on a party atmosphere throughout and made a huge amount of noise in support of their team.

Despite the conclusion of the league and cup, the players will not be resting yet. The players who form Pro Volley Academy will compete in the grand final of the Under 18 Boys National Championships. In addition the senior players will continue training before the summer break.

The 2021/22 season was a real rollercoaster for the London club; following almost 18 months of no volleyball due to the pandemic, the season started in September. The multi titled English champions invested in their juniors and their ability to play senior level volleyball. The result of this was a relatively modest fifth place in the table; winning the league was not the goal this season, but gaining valuable experience for the juniors was the aim. The players, thanks to their regular appearance on court, gained a huge amount of know how for the future. The title was won by Durham Palatinates.

The fans were given the chance to buy commemorative shirts with the historic motifs from the 2021/2022 season. They bore the images and exerts from some of Joseph Conrad Korzeniowski’s works. The replica match shirts are available until 17th April 2022 by following this link.

„I am overjoyed with the result, we played well. I gave a chance to some of our less experienced players in the third set as this was our farewell match of the season; for this reason I wanted to get everybody on court. I want to thank everybody for their hard work and the fans for their support and creating a great atmosphere. The time will come to draw conclusions of the whole season. Today I can say that our league position is very good seeing as though so much of the season was played by juniors. Durham are the champions this year and we congratulate them for that. We will be back after the holidays for more volleyball. See you then” – said Grzegorz Niski, Head Coach of IBB Polonia London Volleyball Club.

Pic. sandsphotos.co.uk