Poland’s star middle blocker Mateusz Bieniek extended his contract with Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie for another four seasons and will defend the colours of the current Poland Cup and Poland Super Cup holders until 2029.
PlusLiga 2024-2025
Bieniek stays in Zawercie until 2029
The Paris 2024 Olympic medallist extends contract with Aluron for another four seasons
Published 03:48, 12 Feb 2025
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The 30-year-old international is into his second season with the club from Zawiercie and has taken up the role of team captain since his arrival. The 2.10m-tall athlete was instrumental in the club’s historic achievements – the first ever national cup trophy and the first ever PlusLiga silver. Last season he also set a PlusLiga record for the highest number of points scored by a middle blocker in a game as he hammered a match-high 26 against GKS Katowice. Aluron are currently running second in this season’s PlusLiga standings, on 58 points and a 19-5 win-loss record, just two points behind defending champions and table leaders Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj.
“I really appreciate living in Zawiercie and how the club is organized. I have felt great here since the very beginning. We really do not lack anything, and the club is managed very professionally,” Bieniek told aluroncmc.pl. “Additionally, coach Michal Winiarski, who also extended his contract, is a big asset. I work very well with him and the entire staff. If something is established and we feel good in a given place, there is no point in looking for changes. I am glad that I will spend a few more seasons at Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and we will do great things together, because this club, its president and the fans deserve it.”
“We always emphasize the long-term vision of building the team and by announcing multi-year contract extensions, first with the coach and then with the captain, we wanted to confirm this,” commented club president Kryspin Baran. “That is why we have departed from the standard schedule and are doing it during the season, not after its end. This exception to the rule is to show the fans that we focus on stability and build the team for years, starting with its brain and heart. Mateusz Bieniek has acclimatized well in Zawiercie, which he emphasizes at every step. He has also found his place in the role of captain just as well. I am glad that we will continue this joint adventure for the next four years.”
Bieniek arrived in Zawiercie after three seasons with PGE Skra Belchatow. Before that, he spent his only season abroad and triumphed with the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship crown and the 2020 Coppa Italia trophy as a player of Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova. Bieniek made his PlusLiga debut in 2013 with the team of Effector Kielce. Three seasons later, he transferred to ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle and picked up two national titles and two national cup crowns during the next three seasons with them.
His national team career has been even more impressive. His medal collection with Poland boasts FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship gold from 2018 and silver from 2022, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver, four Volleyball Nations League podiums, including a 2023 gold, as well as CEV European Championship bronze medals from 2021 and 2018. Bieniek garnished that with individual Dream Team middle blocker nominations at the 2022 World Championship, VNL 2021 and VNL 2022.
PlusLiga 2024-2025 25th leg:
Feb 13, 17:30 local (16:30 UTC): ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle v PSG Stal Nysa
Feb 14, 17:30 local (16:30 UTC): PGE GiEK SKRA Belchatow v Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Steam Hemarpol Norwid Czestochowa v PGE Projekt Warsaw
Feb 15, 12:30 local (11:30 UTC): Slepsk Malow Suwalki v Jastrzebski Wegiel Jastrzebie-Zdroj
Feb 15, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Indykpol AZS Olsztyn v GKS Katowice
Feb 16, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Nowak-Mosty MKS Bedzin v BOGDANKA LUK Lublin
Feb 16, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Cuprum Stilon Gorzow Wielkopolski v Asseco Resovia Rzeszow
Feb 17, 17:30 local (16:30 UTC): Trefl Gdansk v Barkom Kazhany Lviv
