Luke Perry’s Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie have made history by winning their maiden Polish Cup title, defeating Jastrzębski Węgiel 3:1 in the Final in Kraków on Sunday. The Captain of the Australian Volleyroos, who founded the Luke Perry Volleyball Academy with the Perth Reds Volleyball Association in 2023, played a leading role in the final to help his team to the historic victory.
Winners are grinners: Luke Perry with teammate and Portuguese setter, Miguel Tavares.
Photo Credit: Dominika Chmura.
The Final 4 of the Polish Cup was played at Tauron Arena in Kraków. Perry’s Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie recorded a straight sets victory against Projekt Warsaw in the semi-final on Saturday to set up a mouthwatering clash against Jastrzębski Węgiel in Sunday’s Final. Their opponents were no strangers to the Polish Cup Final, having been defeated in the 4 previous finals by ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and went into the final as the favourites. However, it was Perry’s Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie who caused an upset, defeating the top placed side in the PlusLiga in 4 sets.
Luke Perry in action for Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie in the Semi-Final of the Polish Cup.
Photo Credits: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, AGPhoto.pl, Kamiciography.
Perry’s team, who featured French 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist Trévor Clévenot and Polish Representative, Mateusz Bieniek, started the match strongly claiming the first set 25:22. Jastrzębski Węgiel boasted significant firepower in their own French 2020 Olympic Gold Medalists Jean Patry and Benjamin Toniutti as well as current Polish national team athletes Jakub Popiwczak, Thomas Fornal and Norbert Huber and they returned fire in the second set to level the final at one set a piece.
The favourites showed promising signs in the third, opening up a 15-13 lead, but it was all Warta Zawiercie from there, who closed out the third with a 12-6 run and then went on to seal the club’s maiden Polish Cup Championship in the fourth.
History Is Made: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie claim their maiden Polish Cup Championship with Australian Captain Luke Perry locking down the backcourt in the upset victory against current ladder leaders of the PlusLiga, Jastrzębski Węgiel.
Photo Credits: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, AGPhoto.pl, Kamiciography.
Perry’s attention now shifts to the final month of the Polish PlusLiga regular season where his team currently sits in second place, one game behind Jastrzębski Węgiel. The PlusLiga is one of Europe’s strongest indoor volleyball leagues featuring some of the world’s most talented indoor volleyball athletes.
2023/2024 Polish Cup Final Match Result
Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie defeated Jastrzębski Węgiel 3:1 (25:22, 20:25, 25:21, 25:20)
2023/24 Polish Cup Champions: Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
Photo Credit: Kamciography