Zaksa Kędzierzyn-Kozile (hereinafter Zaksa) won the European Volleyball Union Champions League Volleyball 2021 (hereinafter CL), the first time for a team and the first time for a Polish team in 43 years. This time, I would like to introduce this team.
basic information
Photo by CEV
Official name: Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Hometown: Kedzierzyn-Kozile
Established: 1994
Director: Nikola Grbic (Serbia)
Domestic results:
・League championship 8 times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, 2017, 2019)
- 8 Polish Cup wins (2000, 2001, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021)
・2x Super Cup winners (2019, 2020)
European results:
・1 CL victory (2021), 3rd place once (2003)
・1 CEV Cup runner-up (2011)
- Challenge Cup 3rd place once (2000)
Zaksa is a professional volleyball club whose main sponsor is Grupa Azoty, a major Polish chemical company. Its home town is Kedzierzyn-Kozzyre, a city of about 55,000 people located in southwestern Poland. As can be seen from the number of championships it has won, it is one of the most popular and powerful clubs in Poland, and has consistently achieved high results, especially since the 2015/16 season when French national team setter Toniutti joined the club. In terms of ties to Japan, there are quite a few players who have played in the V-League who also belong to this club. For example, former Toray player Luzier, Felipe who played for JTEKT and Panasonic, and former Sakai player Torres are examples of this.
Main starting lineup
Setter: Benjamin Toniutti
Photo by CEV
183 cm 1989/10/30 France
He is the undisputed starting setter for the French national team. As with the national team, he served as captain at Saksa from the season he transferred there, and was a key figure in building an era for the club. In the European setter world, where heights of over 190 cm are the norm, and even over 2 meters are not uncommon, he is only 183 cm tall, but his skillful technique and captaincy have made him one of the world's best setters. During matches, he sometimes looks cute and dwarf-like because the people around him are so big, but when you meet him in person, he is just as big as a normal setter.
Outside hitter 1: Alexander Silivka
Photo by CEV
196cm 1995/05/24 Poland
A refreshing southpaw outside player who was named MVP in this year's Champions League final. An all-rounder with excellent balance between offense and defense, he is not flashy but is reliable, and in the Champions League final he scored many goals for his team at key moments, contributing greatly to the victory. On the national team, he has been blocked from a starting position by Kubiak and Leon, who play in the same position, but he has plenty of potential. He is from the same generation as Ishikawa. Personally, I have always thought that he is the most handsome man on the Polish national team.
Outside hitter 2: Kamil Semeniuk
Photo by CEV
194cm 1996/07/16 Poland
The most promising player this season. His spikes that hit the inside of the court are a must-see. He also breaks down opponents with his serves, and in the Champions League final, he hit a service ace in the middle of the second set and never allowed his opponents to follow him. Unlike the other Polish starters, he has no experience playing for the senior national team, but his performance this season has been highly praised and he was finally called up to the national team for the first time this year. During his time with Zabierce, he played alongside Japanese libero Taichiro Koga. His clear eyes are very beautiful.
Middle blocker 1: David Smith
Photo by CEV
America 201cm 1985/05/15
A solid middle-back from the US national team. Although he is a mid-sized middle-back, he is attractive for his tenacious blocks and sharp quickness that only a veteran can have. In the Champions League, he also showed his presence with his jump serves. He wears a hearing aid in his ear due to his hearing loss. He also played with Koga at Xabierce. The whiteness of his teeth when he smiles is impressive.
Middle blocker 2: Jakub Kochanowski
Photo by CEV
199cm 1997/07/17 Poland
A Polish topknotted samurai middle-aged man. He is one of the undefeated Polish golden generation that dominated both Europe and the world in both youth and junior categories. He is also not tall, but he has quick reactions and anti-air time that make it hard to notice. He is particularly good at one-on-one battles, and has a high success rate in taking down opponents' quickers. I had a chance to talk to him a little while he was on the national team, and he was a really nice guy.
Opposite: Lukasz Kaczmarek
Photo by CEV
204cm 1994/06/29 Poland
Opposite is full of passion. He may seem like a powerful player, but he is surprisingly skilled. That's because he was the world champion in beach volleyball when he was a junior. His competitive spirit stood out in the Champions League, and his service aces decided the quarterfinals against Civitanova and the final against Trento. He has not played much for the national team yet, and is lagging behind his peer opposite Muzai, but will he be able to make an impact this year? Before Zaksa, he was with Rubin, but he just missed Yanagi. His crinkled smile is cute.
Libero: Paweł Zatorski
Photo by CEV
184cm 1990/06/21 Poland
The undisputed libero of the Polish national team. Along with Toniutti, he has been one of the players who have supported the club's progress over the past five seasons. His stable reception and excellent digging have turned the team's pinches into opportunities many times. A true guardian angel. The Polish national team is currently on a two-time consecutive victory in the World Championships, but he and Nowakowski, the middle player, were the only players who mainly played as starters in both championships. He is always there when the Polish team wins a gold medal. And this time, he brought the CL gold medal to Saksa. It seems that his wife is a friend of a friend of a friend of the author.
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