The final group-stage match took place on Valentine’s Day. BTS Elektros Bolesławiec hosted Pogoń Góra. The visitors started the first set very well, quickly building a lead. Fortunately, the hosts levelled the score and ultimately won the set 25:20.
Unfortunately, the second set followed a similar pattern—the visitors took the initiative. This time, they won 25:20.
Fortunately, in the next two sets our team finally began playing its own style of volleyball, bringing the match to a 3:1 victory (25:20, 20:25, 25:15, 25:19) for the hosts.
“Every victory is pleasing. But it is also clear that it is difficult to motivate yourself for a match against the weakest team in the group. Still, no match can be won while standing still. If someone travels to us from Góra, it certainly is not to say: take the three points,” comments Jacek Łuczkowski, president of the Bolesławiec Volleyball Association Jacek Łuczkowski. “You always have to play your own game, even in a match that decides nothing. For me, the most important thing is that at this time next year we are in a different place. I would like us to be fighting for promotion to the second league then.”
Krzysztof Mosiądz, BTS Elektros coach:
The weakest opponent in the group came to play us, and matches against such teams are difficult. Instead of a quick and smooth victory, we gave ourselves a nervous game and unnecessary problems. A match does not win itself, and with this approach it could have backfired on us. Our play was disjointed; we could not play our own volleyball or maintain an appropriate level for long. Winning three points is pleasing, but not entirely the way we won them.
Tomasz Włoszczyński, captain of our volleyball team:
Our match was certainly not an enthralling spectacle. The team from Góra is an awkward opponent. They may not have typical volleyball strengths, but they play intelligently and cleverly. Fortunately, we earned three points and successfully ended the regular season.
The officiating was very puzzling. We received two red cards and one yellow card, entirely without justification. It did not affect the result; perhaps the referee simply wanted to liven up the spectacle and draw attention to himself.
It is worth noting that last Saturday Piotr Filistyński, who normally plays for the cadet team of the Bolesławiec Volleyball Association, made his debut among BTS senior players. What is more, during the interval between sets, Jacek Łuczkowski presented Monika Wagner, the thousandth person to like the Facebook profile of our volleyball players, with a small gift.
After the match against Góra, BTS Elektros finished fifth in the group and will now face Świdnica in a two-legged tie for ninth place in the Lower Silesian Men’s Third League table. Next weekend our team will play Świdnica away, while on 28 February we will play at home.
BTS cadets are also playing a two-legged tie against volleyball players from Świdnica, but in their case fifth place in the table is at stake. On Sunday, 15 February, in the away match, our cadets defeated UKS Dekoria Świdnica 3:1 (25:18, 25:20, 17:25, 25:22). The return match in Bolesławiec is next week.
BTS Bolesławiec/ii