Volleyball player Kurek scores 21 points in SV League match — Interia Sport

Polish volleyball player Bartosz Kurek scored 21 points in the opening match of the new Japanese SV League season, in which Tokyo Great Bears defeated Hokkaido Yellow Stars 3:2. The opposite hitter was the highest-scoring player of the match and converted 42% of his attacks, Interia Sport reports.

Return to the club season

For the 38-year-old Kurek, this is his second consecutive season with Tokyo Great Bears. He has played in Japan since 2020, with the exception of one season spent at Poland's ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle.

The match against Hokkaido Yellow Stars lasted five sets. Kurek was one of the leaders of the Tokyo team, which began the new league campaign with a victory. The opponents are set to play one more head-to-head match.

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Break from national team appearances

Last summer, Kurek did not play for Poland's national team for the first time in many seasons. Since Nikola Grbić began working with the national team, the volleyball player had been its captain, but this time, in agreement with the coach, he opted out of national team appearances.

According to Grbić, Kurek said that he did not feel well and was not at the level he expected of himself. The coach noted that he was ready to consider Kurek's return if he was healthy and demonstrated a higher level than other candidates. The volleyball player himself said in the summer that he was not ending his national team career.

Another Polish volleyball player, middle blocker Norbert Huber, will also play in the new Japanese SV League season, representing Wolfdogs Nagoya.