Norwid Częstochowa beat ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle 3:1 in a club friendly on Thursday evening. The hosts took advantage of a rare opportunity to test themselves against one of Poland's established names. ZAKSA came into the match fresh from a 3:1 win over Słupsk Suwałki the day before. Norwid had suffered a heavy 1:3 defeat to Zawiercie in their previous outing.
The result represents a shift for Norwid, who have struggled in recent months. They lost 0:3 to Zawiercie on 4 February and then again 0:3 to Velo Volley Milano ten days later. After those setbacks they managed a 3:2 victory over the Italian side on 18 February before the heavy Zawiercie loss in February. The 1:3 result against Zawiercie on 1 October suggested little had changed.
ZAKSA's recent record tells a different story. They have lost two matches to Zawiercie this year, both 1:3, after a 3:2 win over the same opposition on 29 March. Their most recent outing saw them finish as winners at Słupsk Suwałki. Against Norwid they offered little resistance, unable to match the pace set by their opponents.
For Norwid this is a result worth noting. They come from a run of heavy defeats and losses to modest opposition. ZAKSA are a club with aspirations far beyond this fixture. To hold them to three sets says something about the level reached on this occasion.
