A Straightforward Win in Sofia
The match, played in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on Tuesday, never really felt in doubt. Poland took the first set 25-23 before pulling away more comfortably in the next two, winning 25-17 and 25-17 to seal the contest. Throughout the tournament, Poland's only real scare came in the group stage, where they were pushed to five sets by Bulgaria and suffered their sole defeat of the competition. Everything else has gone according to plan under the guidance of Serbian head coach Nikola Grbić, whose squad has dominated opponent after opponent in straight sets.

What Comes Next
With the quarterfinal win secured, Poland now heads to Milan for the semifinals, where they'll face the winner of Wednesday's clash between Slovenia and Belgium, to be played in Turin. This latest semifinal appearance extends an impressive streak for Poland, who have now reached the final four in 10 straight international tournaments and four consecutive European Championships in a row. Their recent history speaks for itself: bronze medals in both 2019 and 2021, followed by gold in 2023, when they beat co-hosts Italy 3-0 in Rome to lift the title. Germany, meanwhile, will have to wait longer for their first-ever European crown. Their closest brush with glory came back in 2017, when they fell to Russia in a tightly contested five-set final.