Sendai, Japan, November 26, 2006: Perfect Poland powered to a 3-0 victory over Canada in the second match on the second day of the second round at Sendai City Gymnasium on Sunday.
The Poles won 25-21, 25-17, 25-17 to improve their Pool E record to 5-0, and they have still to drop a set in seven matches in the first and second rounds. Canada slipped to 1-4 following their second straight defeat in Pool E.
Canada had early problems with their block against the aggressive spiking of the Poland team, notably Sebastian Swiderski and Mariusz Wlazly, whereas Poland's poor serves gave Canada some easy points.
In and amongst the service errors, Swiderski produced a beauty that was returned weakly for setter Pawel Zagumny to fire home at the net.
In reply, Canada's Fred Winters troubled the Polish block with a clean winner from the left and a right-wing push-over which meant Poland led by only one point, 8-7, at the first TTO.
Swiderski was in great form out on Poland's left flank, and Wlazly showed his blocking skills on the opposite side to keep the Poles in front, 16-13 at the second technical break.
The rival No. 11s, Lukasz Kadziewicz and Steve Brinkman, were having a good battle at the centre of the net, and when the Polish block began to get on top, Canada called two timeouts in quick succession as the Europeans pulled away to 20-17.
Wlazly and Paul Duerden traded flashing winners from the right side of their respective courts, before Daniel Plinski thumped one home at the net to close out the first set 25-21 on Poland's second set point.
Canada stayed close in the second set as captain Murray Grapentine at the net and Duerden on the right gave as good as they got, but there was still no stopping the dynamic Wlazly. On one rally he latched on to a looping forearm set from Swiderski and sent a spike fizzing through the Canadian defence for another spectacular Polish point.
Swiderski was beginning to cut loose, and Canada needed a TO when falling behind 11-8 in the second set. There was no respite from the Wlazly barrage, though, as his booming serves moved his team further ahead.
Duerden showed his ability to turn defence into attack with some adventurous spiking for Canada, but the second set was getting away when Wlazly climbed again on the right to beat the block and defence for 16-11 at the second TTO.
Pascal Cardinal, Duerden, with a thunderbolt spike that flattened Zagumny, and Winters all held up Poland's march to the second frame, and Brinkman's blocking suggested he was getting the read on Poland's big hitters.
The gap was too much to make up, though, and Swiderski ended the second set 25-17 for 2-0.
The third member of Poland's main strikeforce, along with Swiderski and Wlazly, is Michal Winiarski, and he carried the attack in the third frame to open a four-point lead, 8-4, at the first TTO. This grew to 11-4 when Wlazly fed off another looping overhead set from Swiderski as the Poles began to run away with the match.
Canada needed a breather at 13-5, and were greeted on their return by the sight of Winiarski flying from the back court to send another lightning strike whistling through the defence.
With chants of "Polska" providing a noisy back drop from Polish fans decked out in red and white favours in the stands, the players kept their foot on the gas to keep Canada at a safe distance.
Poland's Argentine head coach, Raul Lozano, gave a couple of his starting six a rest in the third set, but the replacements maintained the momentum. World No. 8 Poland took the third set 25-17.
