Poland vs France

The first set belonged to France, but the start of the second set changed everything. Poland's serving pressure — particularly from Fornal — destabilised the French reception, and the hosts won nine of the first 14 points. France never recovered the level they showed in the opener.

Tomasz Fornal (Poland) — The outside hitter was Poland's most reliable attacker across the final two sets and delivered crucial serving runs that broke French momentum. He started the match alongside Kamil Semeniuk in reception.

Bartłomiej Bołądź (Poland) — The opposite provided consistent scoring from the right side and was particularly effective in sets 2 and 3 when Poland seized control.

Artur Szalpuk (Poland) — The substitute made a decisive impact from the service line in set 3, helping Poland turn a tight contest into a rout.

Théo Faure (France) — France's most effective attacker, he scored the crucial points in set 1. But the French attack faded as Poland's block tightened in sets 2-4.

"During this tournament, I wanted everyone to get their playing time," Grbić told the Polish Volleyball Federation (PZPS). "We select players based on their current form. Today we faced a difficult opponent, so Tomasz Fornal and Kamil Semeniuk started in reception. After the tournament, we'll go to Spała where we'll continue training before flying to the European Championships."

France coach Andrea Giani said: "I'm glad we could take part in the Wagner Memorial. From the start, I wanted my players to compete in a tournament of high sporting quality, and this tournament gave us that opportunity. Additionally, we can meet great athletes, talk for a while, and exchange observations."

Poland's set record across the three-day tournament finished at 9-4 (three won, two lost against Slovenia; three won, one lost against USA; three won, one lost against France). The 25-15 scoreline in set 3 was Poland's largest set win of the entire tournament.

The progress across the weekend was clear: a ragged five-setter against Slovenia (26:24, 21:25, 25:19, 23:25, 15:11) gave way to a controlled four-set win over the USA (22:25, 25:15, 25:20, 25:22) and peaked with Sunday's dominant display, where Poland lost just one set and outscored France 75-52 across the final three sets.

Grbić rotated his squad heavily across all three matches. Against France, he started Marcin Komenda at setter, Szymon Jakubiszak and Jakub Nowak in the middle, with Jakub Popiwczak at libero. Wilfredo Leon, Jan Firlej and Kewin Sasak all entered as substitutes.

Poland finished the XXIII Wagner Memorial undefeated, winning the title for the 12th time in the tournament's 23 editions — their first since 2023. France ended second with a 2-1 record, having beaten the USA (3-0) and Slovenia (3-1) before falling to the hosts. The USA beat Slovenia 3-2 in Sunday's earlier match to take third place.

For Poland, the Wagner Memorial was the penultimate test before the European Championships. Grbić's squad will travel to Spała for further training before flying to defend their continental crown. Poland also have a friendly against Finland scheduled for 5 September in Gdańsk's ERGO Arena.

Poland's tournament progression — from a ragged five-set win over Slovenia to a polished four-set demolition of France — will encourage Grbić. The rotation policy gave minutes to the full squad, and the response after losing the opening set showed the composure of a side that won the VNL earlier this summer. France, missing their sharpest edge once Poland's block found its rhythm, will identify improvements before the European Championships begin.