PGE Skra Bełchatów SSA – is a Polish professional men's volleyball team, based in Bełchatów, playing in PlusLiga. PGE Skra won the title of Polish Champion eight times (2004-2011, 2014) and Polish Cup six times. Club won a silver and two bronzes of CEV Champions League.
Bee - mascot of the PGE Skra.
PGE Skra after winning silver medal of Polish Championship in season 2011/2012.
Team in season 2014/15.
Team history
Robotniczy Klub Sportowy (Workers Sports Club) Skra was founded in 1930 in Bełchatów. First, it was a football club. In 1957, a volleyball section was created. In 1977 the football section was separated from the club and incorporated into KWB Bełchatów. In 1991 Bełchatów Power Station became the sponsor of the club, and the club changed its name to Energetyczny Klub Sportowy (Energetic Sports Club) Skra. In 1994, the club advanced to Polish league II, and in 1997 to league I "B" series. In 1999, it was promoted to series "A", but after a year it fell back down to series "B" again.
In 2001, the club led by Wiesław Czaja was promoted to PlusLiga. In their first season there - 2001/2002 the team achieved the bronze medal in the Polish Men's Volleyball Championship, defeating Jastrzębski Węgiel after three matches. In 2002/2003 Skra took 6th place in league and lost in second round of the CEV Cup in match against Russian club Lokomotiv Yekaterinburg. The team had a new head coach - Ireneusz Mazur. In 2003/2004 club was close to achieve next medal. Skra lost with AZS Częstochowa after five matches. The team was also defeated in the final match of the Polish Cup by KP Polska Energia Sosnowiec.
In 2004/2005 players of Skra began their masterful passe. They won first title of Polish Champion after three matches with AZS Olsztyn and achieved their first Polish Cup also after final match with club from Olsztyn (3-1). The team repeated this success in next season, when they won second title of Polish Champion in four final matches with Jastrzębski Węgiel, and Polish Cup for the second year in a row (winning final match with AZS Częstochowa (3-0)). They lost two matches against Greek Iraklis Thessaloniki V.C. in play-off 6 of CEV Champions League 2005/2006.
In 2006, the new coach was Daniel Castellani, who was the first coach of the club outside Polish. He spent in Bełchatów three seasons. During his work PGE Skra won next three title of Polish Champion (2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009) and two Polish Cups (2007, 2009). In 2008 PGE Skra as host played in Final Four of CEV Champions League 2007/2008 held at Hala MOSiR in Łódź. On March 29, 2008 the team lost semi final with Russian club Dynamo-Tattransgaz Kazan (2-3). Next day, PGE Skra players won bronze medal in match with Italian Sisley Treviso (3-2).
In 2009 new coach was hired. It was Jacek Nawrocki. The first success under the guidance of new coach was silver medal of the FIVB Club World Championship 2009. At this tournament after promoting from Pool B, PGE Skra won semi final with VC Zenit-Kazan (3-1), but on November 8, 2009 Polish club lost final against Trentino Volley (0-3). 2 of 7 individuall awards received PGE Skra players - Bartosz Kurek as the Best Scorer, Marcin Możdżonek as the Best Blocker.
In 2010 Polish team was the host of Final Four CEV Champions League 2009/2010 again. They lost semi final with VC Dynamo Moscow and won bronze medal in match against ACH Volley Bled. Mariusz Wlazły was the Best Scorer of Final Four tournament. In 2009/2010 club won 6th title of Polish Champion. On December 21, 2010 PGE Skra achieved silver medal of the FIVB Club World Championship 2010. They lost with Trentino Volley (1-3). In 2010/2011 Polish club won 7th title of the Polish Champion and fifth Polish Cup. First trphy in 2012 was sixth Polish Cup in history of the club. On March 18, 2012 PGE Skra achieve silver medal of the CEV Champions League. They won the match against Arkas Izmir in semi final, but losing final against Russian club - VC Zenit-Kazan in the Final Four held at Atlas Arena in Łódź, Poland.[1] The final match ended controversially, because the referee didn't see the block of Russian player and ended the match despite the fact that audience and all players saw the error on screen.[2] PGE Skra players received 3 of 8 individual awards. Best Receiver was Michał Winiarski, the award for Best Spiker received Bartosz Kurek and title of Most Valuable Player gained team captain - Mariusz Wlazły.[3] In season 2011/2012 club lost in final of PlusLiga with Asseco Resovia Rzeszów and achieved silver medal. On October 18, 2013 PGE Skra lost semi final of the FIVB Club World Championship with Sada Cruzeiro (2-3). Next day, Polish team won bronze in match with VC Zenit Kazan (3-2). Opposite Aleksandar Atanasijević was awarded the Best Scorer. In season 2012/2013 club took 5th place in PlusLiga and was eliminated from CEV Champions League by Arkas Izmir.
In 2013 to club from Bełchatów came back a former setter of this club - Miguel Angel Falasca, who after ending his sports career debuted as the head coach. In 2013/2014 PGE Skra competed in CEV Cup, continuing as far as the semi final, which they lost to Gubierniya Nizhny Novgorod. On October 24, 2013 one of the players - Stephane Antiga signed contract with Polish Association of Volleyball and became the new head coach of Poland men's national volleyball team. For the first time in the history of Polish national team, current coach was an active player. In season 2013/2014 PGE Skra won a title of Polish Champion 2014, which is 8th title of Polish Champion in history.[4] On October 8, 2014 PGE Skra as the Polish Champion 2014 played with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (winner of Polish Cup2014) for the ENEA Polish SuperCup2014.[5] PGE Skra won 3-1 at Arena Poznań in Poznań. Facundo Conte was awarded a title of the Most Valuable Player.[6] In season 2014/2015 PGE Skra has been playing in 2014–15 CEV Champions League. They won all matches in Pool F with Precura Antwerpen, Hypo Tirol Innsbruck, Jihostroj České Budějovice, with a perfect record, winning 18 and losing only 2 sets along the way.[7] In playoff 12 beat Italian club Cucine Lube Treia twice - 3–0 in Macerata[8] and 3–1 at Atlas Arena, Łódź.[9] They went to playoff 6, where their opponents were Italian Sir Safety Perugia. PGE Skra lost their first match with Italian team (2-3) and gained 1 point. In revenge match, on March 11, 2015 at Atlas Arena, Łódź PGE Skra Bełchatów beat Sir Safety Perugia 3-1, gained 3 points and went to the Final Four, which will be held in Berlin.[10] They will play with another Polish team - Asseco Resovia Rzeszów and for the firsat time in history two Polish teams will be playing at semifinal of CEV Champions League Final Four.[11] Club played in Final Four of 2014–15 CEV Champions League, but lost with Asseco Resovia Rzeszów in semifinal and next day in bronze medal match with Berlin Recycling Volleys and did not achieve any medal. On May 6, 2015 they won bronze medal of Polish Championship after winning matches with Jastrzębski Węgiel.[12]
On February 7, 2016 PGE Skra achieved Polish Cup 2016 (beat ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle 3-2 in the finale).[13] They received four individual awards: Conte was the Best Receiver, Lisinac was the Best Blocker, Wlazły was the Best Opposite Spiker and Most Valuable Player of tournament. During the finale with ZAKSA, the captain Mariusz Wlazły was injured in tie-break. Skra got eliminated from 2015–16 CEV Champions League in playoffs 6 by Zenit Kazan (first match 3-2, second 0-3). After failure head coach Miguel Angel Falasca was fired during clubs meeting. The decision was announced on March 28, 2016.[14] Managment of Skra announced also that duties of head coach to the end of season 2015/16 were taken by Falasca's assistant Italian Fabio Storti, but next day on March 29, 2016 club signed contract with new head coach - Philippe Blain.[15] On February 7, 2016 PGE Skra 2016 Polish Cup after beat ZAKSA in the finale.[16] In April 2016 the team won a bronze medal of 2015–16 PlusLiga.[17]
Former names
| 1957–1991 | KS Skra Bełchatów |
| 1991–2004 | EKS Skra Bełchatów |
| 2004–2005 | KPS Skra Bełchatów SSA |
| 2005–2007 | BOT Skra Bełchatów SSA |
| 2007–present | PGE Skra Bełchatów SSA |
Coaches
Team
2015/2016
Head coach: 
Miguel Angel Falasca (2015–Mar 2016) / 
Philippe Blain (Mar 2016–present)
| No. |
Name |
Date of birth |
Position |
| 01 !1 |  Lisinac, SrećkoSrećko Lisinac | (1992-05-17) May 17, 1992 | middle blocker |
| 02 !2 |  Wlazły, MariuszMariusz Wlazły (C) | (1983-08-04) August 4, 1983 | opposite |
| 04 !4 | Marcyniak, MariuszMariusz Marcyniak | (1992-03-05) March 5, 1992 | middle blocker |
| 06 !6 | Kłos, KarolKarol Kłos | (1989-08-08) August 8, 1989 | middle blocker |
| 07 !7 |  Conte, FacundoFacundo Conte | (1989-08-25) August 25, 1989 | outside hitter |
| 08 !8 | Wrona, AndrzejAndrzej Wrona | (1988-12-27) December 27, 1988 | middle blocker |
| 09 !9 | Janusz, MarcinMarcin Janusz | (1994-07-31) July 31, 1994 | setter |
| 10 | Uriarte, NicolásNicolás Uriarte | (1990-03-21) March 21, 1990 | setter |
| 11 | Stanković, MihajloMihajlo Stanković | (1993-06-05) June 5, 1993 | outside hitter |
| 13 | Winiarski, MichałMichał Winiarski | (1983-09-28) September 28, 1983 | outside hitter |
| 14 | Gromadowski, MarcelMarcel Gromadowski | (1985-12-19) December 19, 1985 | opposite |
| 16 | Piechocki, KacperKacper Piechocki | (1995-02-17) February 17, 1995 | libero |
| 17 | Milczarek, RobertRobert Milczarek | (1983-11-28) November 28, 1983 | libero |
| 18 | Marechal, NicolasNicolas Marechal | (1987-03-04) March 4, 1987 | outside hitter |
| 19 | Rodríguez, IsraelIsrael Rodríguez | (1981-08-27) August 27, 1981 | outside hitter |
|
Notable players
See also
References
External links
Polish Champions of men's volleyball |
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