Gearing up for World League – Team Poland

The FIVB twitter helpfully informs me that the tournament gets underway in just 6 hours, so we’re squeaking the final piece in under the gun. Also I’m writing this at 3:30am my time. Our last look at the rundown:

Egypt Portugal
Japan
Iran
Netherlands
South Korea
Finland
Canada
Italy
Argentina
Serbia
Russia
France
Brazil
Germany
Bulgaria
Cuba
USA
Poland

Yes, in a minor upset, it was Poland winning last year’s World League final, defeating the Americans in three straight sets. And the Poles didn’t quite come out of nowhere to do it, but just as well. A bronze in 2011 was their only previous World League medal, in a stretch of consecutive participations dating back to 1998. 2011 was a strong year all-around for the Polish team, as they added World Cup silver and CEV European Championship bronze to their third-place at the World League. The Poles were silver medallists at the 2006 World Championship and gold medallists at the 2009 European Championship. Prior to that, they hadn’t medalled in a major international tourney for more than 20 years.

In London last year, the Poles finished on 5th rank, same as the Americans, as they lost in their first knockout stage match. Their loss was to eventual Olympic champions Russia, so maybe that’s some small consolation. Poland’s only Olympic medal in volleyball came far too long ago to be directly relevant to today, a gold at the Montreal Olympics of 1976.

Almost the entire London Olympic squad remains as part of the (larger) formation for the World League this year. Only 35-year old setter Paweł Zagumny has departed. Poland were led last year in all major tournaments by major stud middle/outside Bartosz Kurek. Kurek had a dominant World League last year, being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Zbigniew Bartman, who naturally plays outside hitter, won the Best Hitter award (sorry, but I refuse to use the term “spiker” — all apologies to Jake Gibb). Middle blocker Marcin Mozdzonek was named World League Best Blocker last season. Libero Krzysztof Ignaczak was named Best Libero and Best Digger — you perhaps get the point, they cleaned up the tournament honours en route to winning the whole shebang. Basically just pick a name from their roster page and you’re likely to find an important contributor. This is a deep team with a young core — Kurek, Bartman, and Mozdzonek are all 28 or younger, giving them some eyes for Rio.

So are we looking at a winner?

Yeah, probably. They’re bound to regress somewhat (thank you Captain Obvious), but I’d still put them at no worse than 60/40 to make the medal round. They’re not the shoo-ins that Brazil are in Pool A, but at the same time they’ve got a better sense of who they are than do the Americans, both of whom are probably a notch or two better than the Bulgarians.

Put up or shut-up time

All right, since you insist.

I’ve already said that Russia are my pick to win the whole tournament. Here then, are my picks all around.

Pool A:

1. Brazil
2. Poland
3. USA
4. Argentina
5. Bulgaria
6. France

Pool B:

1. Russia
2. Italy
3. Serbia
4. Cuba
5. Germany
6. Iran

Pool C:

1. Canada (did rank the highest of any Pool C teams last year and have the highest World Ranking right now)
2. Finland
3. Netherlands
4. Korea
5. Japan
6. Portugal

Final Pool:

1. Brazil
2. Russia
3. Italy
4. Poland
5. Argentina
6. Canada

Semifinals:

Brazil over Poland
Russia over Italy

Finals:

Italy over Poland
Russia over Brazil

Volley on!