The giant from Poland reminded the fans. He saved the legendary club!

Just a few seasons ago, matches between Bełchatów and Kędzierzyn-Koźle meant playing for the highest goals in PlusLiga, including the fight for the Polish championship. However, the balance of power has changed and now in other cities in Poland they are flexing their muscles, thinking about playing for titles. However, as Monday’s match between PGE GiEK Skra and ZAKSA, played in Bełchatów, showed, the emotions and interesting volleyball of both teams cannot be denied.

PlusLiga: Bartosz Krzysiek is the hero in the clash of legends. ZAKSA’s false start

Although the guests from Kędzierzyn-Koźle were already leading 2-0 in sets, and the third set 24:22, they ultimately lost this set 24:26, and the entire match after a five-set battle. ZAKSA will wonder for a long time what really happened in Bełchatów. Instead of leaving PGE GiEK Skra with three points and winning without losing a set, the volleyball players from Kędzierzyn-Koźle suffered a third defeat… in the third match of the season. It must be admitted that this was not how the start of the 2025/26 campaign was imagined.

The health problems of Quinn Isaacson, ZAKSA’s American setter, who had to fight with an injury during the match in Bełchatów, certainly contributed. Although the attitude of Marcin Krawiecki, a substitute volleyball player from the USA, was not the key problem for the visitors that day. Overall, ZAKSA must regain confidence in its shares as soon as possible, because there were more than a few opportunities to close the competition in its favor – not only in Bełchatów.

On the winning side, Bartosz Krzysiek was the hero. The attacker, who played for PGE GiEK Skra, appeared… in an emergency, just before the season, as an alternative in the face of the injury of Alan Souza, who was supposed to be the leader in this position.

The basic player in this position was Arkadiusz Żakieta. However, coach Krzysztof Stelmach was looking for new solutions that would give the team a boost, especially since the score was 0:2 and the prospect of the next game not necessarily going well.

Krzysiek scored a total of 15 points, playing with a solid efficiency of 56%. (23 attacks). He scored a point directly from the service box and with an effective block. On the other side of the net, Kamil Rychlicki scored the most points, while ZAKSA’s attacker finished the match with 18 points.

Krzysiek is a volleyball player born in 1990, and he has played in a really large number of clubs in his career. In Poland he performed, among others, in Suwałki, Olsztyn, Kielce, Bydgoszcz, Częstochowa, Katowice and Nysa. He also had the opportunity to spend episodes in countries such as South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.

– When I stand in the substitutes’ square and look around, I see how great people I have next to me. There is no disgrace here to be a substitute or wait for your chance. As I mentioned in the pre-match interview, sometimes it is possible to show up more, sometimes less. In this match we managed to show a little more, but what is important is that the team wins and the players who come in are not afraid to play and take advantage of their opportunity. They give new energy, new solutions. I think the coach is also aware of this, that he has a very wide bench – said the best volleyball player of the match after the victory.

Krzysiek with the MVP award of the PlusLiga match? Just a few weeks ago it seemed unlikely. But as you can see, the attacker, who was also in the Polish national team in the past (2012), has not forgotten how to play volleyball. With excellent physical conditions – 208 cm tall – the volleyball player impressed with his experience on the pitch.

And in Bełchatów they can only be happy about it, because the two points they grabbed and the victory against ZAKSA may have a big impact on the subsequent position in the PlusLiga table.