Brazil experienced painful deja vu in the final of the 2018 FIVB Men’s World Championship. Just as they did four years ago during the 2014 World Champs, the Brazilians lost to Poland in the gold-medal match. 

Poland, which sent the USA to the bronze-medal match with a five-set victory in the semis, out-blocked Brazil 10 to four and benefitted from 24 points from opposite Bartosz Kurek to secure the straight-set victory (28-26, 25-20, 25-23) and the gold medal. 

Kurek has been a member of the Polish senior national team since 2009, but he was not included on the World League or World Championship rosters in 2014. Perhaps fueled by the disappointment of being snubbed four years ago, Kurek played wonderfully throughout the 2018 edition, ranking first in the tournament with 171 total points.

In the bronze-medal match, USA defeated Serbia 23-25, 25-17, 32-30, 25-19. 

“It’s really hard to play bronze-medal matches. We unfortunately know that,” USA head coach John Speraw said, referencing the U.S. men’s recent penchant for struggling in the semifinals of big tournaments and have to fight for bronze. This bronze medal will be added to ones secured at the 2018 Volleyball Nations League earlier in the summer and at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

The Americans entered their medal-round matchup with Serbia only hours after losing a close five-set match to Poland, and in the first set that exhaustion and disappointment showed on the court with Serbia winning the first set. The USA then slowly began putting the pieces together and by the third set, which they had to battle all the way to 32-30 to win, Speraw said his team finally started playing their best volleyball. 

Veteran opposite Matt Anderson, who ranked second in the tournament in total points with 163 total points, scored 29 in the bronze-medal match and was responsible for the final five USA points of the match.

“It’s been a good year,” Speraw said. “Our program and Brazil’s were the only two that made it into both semifinals, VNL and here. I think we’re in a position now where we are competing for tournaments. When that happens, sometimes you can win them and sometimes you have disappointing losses. That’s the risk you take by challenging the best in the world.”