November 25, 2006, Sendai, Japan — Poland continued their unbeaten start to the volleyball world championships with a three-set victory over Tunisia on Saturday.
The Polish, ranked eighth, won 25-22, 25-18, 25-23 in their opening Pool E game and are yet to lose a set in the tournament, although Tunisia pushed them close in the final bracket.
Poland sit at the top of the pool after the first day of the second round, while Tunisia dropped to 0-4 for the second round.
Lukasz Kadziewicz started brightly for the Polish, with a huge spike to put the first point on the board and then a towering block to deny the Tunisians seconds later.
The first TTO was reached with the Poles leading 8-6, but the Tunisians drew level at 9-9 before Hichem Kaaby fired in a spike after a dramatic rally.
Poland coach Raul Lozano of Argentina decided now was the time for a time out, as things weren't going according to the script.
Poland soon fixed things. Kadziewicz moved Poland back in front 13-12 with another punishing smash down the middle and the second TTO arrived with Polish two ahead.
A Sebastian Swiderski sidewinder moved Poland 17-15 ahead and brilliant recovery from libero Piotr Gacek earned another point as they upped the ante.
Tunisia weren't giving up, though, with Aymen Ben Brik working well on the wing and the scores were leveled at 21-21.
It wasn't quite enough. Set point arrived courtesy of Michal Winiarski and Mariusz Wlazly dispatched it.
Some tough blocking from Poland gave them the edge at the start of the second set as they moved into the first TTO two points ahead, although the likes of Tunisia captain Ghazi Guidara were beginning to find a few holes in the Polish front guard.
Poland quickly moved 12-8 in front and then a Wlazly thunderbolt from the right put them further ahead.
The screw was being tightened on the Tunisians once more and the second technical break arrived with the score 16-9.
Daniel Plinski snapped in a spike to move the score to 19-12, followed by another Swiderski swipe, and the second set started to resemble a rout.
The score became a little more respectable but Grzegorz Szymanski brought up set point with a smash from the right and the set was won with a ricochet that luckily went Poland's way.
Szymanski made it look easy at the start of the third set with a lazy swat that flew like a bullet into the Tunisian court, but it didn't stop the North Africans from going into the first TTO one point ahead.
Kaabi leaped high to hammer down a spike that brought the teams level at 13-13 and Skander Ben Tara's right-hand hammer equalized things again at 14-14 as Tunisia continued to pursue Poland closely.
A brilliant ace from Guidara moved Tunisia three points ahead, 18-15, and it looked as though Tunisia could take the set.
Plinski pulled one back for the Poles and then Kadziewicz, before Ben Tara smashed in to make it 21-19 and did so again to make it 22-21.
This one was going down to the wire. A huge spike from Winiarski leveled it at 22-22 and brilliant block from the same man put Poland ahead.
Once again it was Winiarski who was on hand to clinch match point with a delicate dink over the Tunisian blockers and after a time out called by Antonio Giacobbe, the Tunisia coach, Szymanski hammered home from the right for the match.
