Aleksander Śliwka is a Polish outside hitter who plays for PGE Projekt Warszawa and represents the Poland men’s national volleyball team. Born in Jawor in 1995, the left-handed receiver developed through his family’s local volleyball environment before progressing to SMS PZPS Spała and Poland’s youth national teams. He entered senior international volleyball in 2015 and later became a world champion, European champion, Olympic silver medalist and national-team captain.
Śliwka’s club career is most closely associated with six seasons at ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, where he captained one of the most successful teams in modern European club volleyball and won three consecutive CEV Champions League titles from 2021 through 2023. He left Poland in 2024 for Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, won the inaugural Japanese SV.League championship, then spent an injury-disrupted 2025–26 season with Halkbank Ankara before returning to PGE Projekt Warszawa.
Player Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aleksander Śliwka |
| Date of Birth | 24 May 1995 |
| Age | 31 |
| Place of Birth | Jawor, Poland |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Gender | Male |
| Position | Outside Hitter |
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lbs) |
| Spike Reach | 352 cm |
| Block Reach | 332 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Left |
| Development Clubs | Spartakus Jawor; SMS PZPS Spała |
| Previous Clubs | AZS Politechnika Warszawska; Asseco Resovia Rzeszów; Indykpol AZS Olsztyn; ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle; Suntory Sunbirds Osaka; Halkbank Ankara |
| Current Club | PGE Projekt Warszawa |
| Club Number | 11 |
| National Team | Poland Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| Senior National Team Since | 2015 |
| National-Team Number | 11 |
| Career Status | Active |
| @aleksander.sliwka |
The current Polish league registration lists Śliwka at 196 cm and 90 kg with a 352 cm attack reach. CEV records list a 332 cm block reach and have long identified him as a left-handed outside spiker.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Śliwka grew up in Jawor in a family where volleyball was part of everyday life. Both of his parents played, his older sisters were involved in the sport, and his parents helped establish Spartakus Jawor, the local club where Aleksander and his younger brother Piotr began playing. CEV’s profile of Śliwka describes volleyball as a family tradition rather than a sport he discovered independently later in childhood.
His development continued at SMS PZPS Spała, the Polish federation’s national sports school. Śliwka had already begun collecting international medals before becoming a senior professional: Poland won silver at the 2013 European U19 Championship and European Youth Olympic Festival, followed by another European youth silver in 2014. Those teams placed him within a generation that was already being prepared for senior international volleyball.
The first senior club stage began with AZS Politechnika Warszawska in 2014–15. He subsequently moved through Asseco Resovia and Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, returning to Resovia for 2017–18 before ZAKSA signed him in 2018.
Club Career
ZAKSA: Six Seasons, Captaincy and Three European Titles
Śliwka joined ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2018 and stayed for six seasons. The period transformed both his individual career and the club’s place in European volleyball.
Domestic success arrived immediately. ZAKSA won the Polish Cup and national championship in 2018–19, followed by further Polish Cups, Super Cups and another league championship over the next five seasons. Śliwka also developed into the team’s captain, carrying a larger leadership role as the squad went from domestic contender to the dominant European club of its period.
The defining breakthrough came in the 2020–21 Champions League. ZAKSA defeated Trentino in the Super Final in Verona, ending a decades-long wait for another Polish men’s club to win Europe’s leading competition. Śliwka scored a team-high 18 points in the final and was named Super Final MVP.
ZAKSA repeated the achievement in 2022 and again in 2023. Three consecutive Champions League trophies gave Śliwka one of the strongest European club records of any Polish player of his generation. His role was not limited to scoring: the combination of reception responsibility, left-handed attacking and captaincy made him a structural part of the team through coaching and roster changes.
The final ZAKSA season was disrupted in December 2023 when Śliwka fractured the second finger of his left hand after being hit by the ball while blocking during a Champions League match against Roeselare. The injury required an extended absence during a difficult season for both player and club.
He left Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2024 with three Champions League titles, two Polish championships, four Polish Cups and three Polish Super Cups from his six-year stay.
Japan: Adapting to the SV.League and Winning the Title
Śliwka’s move to Suntory Sunbirds Osaka for 2024–25 was his first senior club season outside Poland. He arrived after the injury-heavy final year at ZAKSA and later explained that another physical issue delayed his ability to train fully with the Japanese team, making the opening months an adjustment both physically and tactically.
Once established in the lineup, his season showed the two-way workload that has characterized much of his career. The official SV.League database credits Śliwka with 260 attack points, 27 blocks and nine aces across the regular season and playoffs. He also handled 546 receptions, a workload that placed him deeply within Suntory’s first-contact system rather than using him only as a scorer. His attack success rate across the full competition was 55.8%.
Suntory defeated JTEKT Stings Aichi in the championship final to become the first men’s champions of the new SV.League era. Śliwka described winning the title as the fulfillment of the team’s season-long objective after a campaign that contained several difficult periods.
The season also included victory in the Emperor’s Cup and a third-place finish in the 2025 AVC Men’s Champions League. Suntory announced in May 2025 that Śliwka would leave after his one-year contract, specifically highlighting his contribution during the championship semifinals and finals.
Ankle Injury, Halkbank and the Route Back to Warsaw
Śliwka’s next club chapter was shaped by a serious injury before it had properly begun. During Poland training in July 2025, he injured his right foot and ankle shortly before the VNL week in Gdańsk. The injury ended his national-team season and required a long rehabilitation.
Halkbank Ankara formally announced his signing in November. His first appearance came in the Champions League against Bogdanka LUK Lublin in December, roughly five months after the injury. In an official Halkbank interview after his return, Śliwka spoke about the club’s role in his rehabilitation and the importance of simply being back on court.
Halkbank finished third in the Turkish league. At the end of April, Śliwka then moved to PGE Projekt Warszawa under the Polish league’s medical-transfer provision after Bartosz Bednorz was injured. He appeared in three matches of the bronze-medal series against Asseco Resovia, scoring 12 points in the decisive 3–0 victory on 6 May as Projekt secured third place.
That short emergency spell became a permanent move. Śliwka returned to PGE Projekt Warszawa for 2026–27 and continues to wear number 11.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | AZS Politechnika Warszawska | Poland |
| 2015–2016 | Asseco Resovia Rzeszów | Poland |
| 2016–2017 | Indykpol AZS Olsztyn | Poland |
| 2017–2018 | Asseco Resovia Rzeszów | Poland |
| 2018–2024 | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Poland |
| 2024–2025 | Suntory Sunbirds Osaka | Japan |
| 2025–2026 | Halkbank Ankara | Türkiye |
| April–May 2026 | PGE Projekt Warszawa | Poland |
| 2026–present | PGE Projekt Warszawa | Poland |
National Team Career
Śliwka entered Poland’s senior program in 2015 after his youth international career and competed at that year’s European Games. His role increased over the following seasons as he became part of the outside-hitter group around Poland’s established championship core.
From the 2018 World Title to Poland’s 2023 Double
The 2018 World Championship was his first senior global title. Poland defeated Brazil in the final to retain the championship won four years earlier, giving Śliwka a world title at 23.
The medals continued through the next Olympic cycle. Poland finished second at the 2019 World Cup and third at EuroVolley, then took VNL silver and another European bronze in 2021. In 2022, Śliwka added VNL bronze and World Championship silver.
His strongest international season before Paris came in 2023. Śliwka returned to the VNL lineup with a 20-point performance against Slovenia, scored 16 points as Poland eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals and contributed 14 in the gold-medal match as Poland won the VNL for the first time. Volleyball World selected him as one of the tournament’s two Best Outside Hitters.
Poland then won EuroVolley in Rome, defeating Italy in straight sets in the final. The VNL-European Championship double made 2023 one of the strongest national-team seasons of Śliwka’s career.
Injury, Olympic Silver and the 2026 Return
The finger fracture suffered with ZAKSA during the 2023–24 club season interrupted Śliwka’s preparation for the Olympic year. He nevertheless returned to Poland’s roster and was selected for Paris 2024.
Śliwka played in six Olympic matches as Poland finally moved beyond the quarterfinal stage that had repeatedly stopped the national team in previous Games. The team defeated the United States in a five-set semifinal before France won the gold-medal match, leaving Poland with its first men’s Olympic volleyball medal since 1976.
His 2025 national-team season was cut short by the serious right ankle injury in July. Śliwka had returned to the squad and was preparing for the Gdańsk VNL week when the injury occurred, eventually missing the remainder of the international season.
The 2026 campaign marked his full international return. Volleyball World identified Śliwka as Poland’s captain during the VNL, and his tournament numbers included 71 points: 63 from attack, six from blocks and two from serve. Poland successfully defended its VNL title by beating the United States in five sets in the final.
Two months later, Poland retained its European title, defeating France 3–1 in Milan. The result made Poland the first men’s team since Italy in 2005 to win consecutive EuroVolley championships and also secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Playing Style & Strengths
Śliwka’s game is built around a combination that is relatively uncommon at elite level: he is a left-handed outside hitter who can carry substantial serve-reception responsibility without becoming merely a defensive specialist. CEV has described him as a left-handed receiver noted for technique, and his career usage supports that profile.
The 2024–25 SV.League season gives a particularly useful statistical picture. Across 45 matches and 99 sets, Śliwka handled 546 receptions while also taking 466 attacking swings. He scored 260 points in attack at a 55.8% success rate, added 27 blocks and nine aces, and remained involved in back-row attacking. That combination of passing volume and efficient offense shows why coaches have trusted him in a full six-rotation role rather than protecting him from first-contact responsibility.
His left-handedness also changes the visual and technical profile of his attack from the left pin. Rather than relying only on height or raw power, Śliwka has built much of his scoring around timing, hand control and attacking different portions of the block. His 2023 VNL run illustrated that balance particularly well: 20 points against Slovenia, 16 against Brazil in the quarterfinal and a Best Outside Hitter award after Poland won the title.
Leadership has gradually become part of his on-court role as well. He captained ZAKSA during its later championship years and was Poland’s captain during the 2026 VNL. That responsibility fits a player whose value has often included reception stability, tactical control and continuity across rotations in addition to terminal attacking.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | FIVB World Championship | Gold Medal |
| 2019 | FIVB World Cup | Silver Medal |
| 2019 | CEV European Championship | Bronze Medal |
| 2021 | Volleyball Nations League | Silver Medal |
| 2021 | CEV European Championship | Bronze Medal |
| 2022 | Volleyball Nations League | Bronze Medal |
| 2022 | FIVB World Championship | Silver Medal |
| 2023 | Volleyball Nations League | Gold Medal |
| 2023 | CEV European Championship | Gold Medal |
| 2024 | Volleyball Nations League | Bronze Medal |
| 2024 | Olympic Games, Paris | Silver Medal |
| 2026 | Volleyball Nations League | Gold Medal |
| 2026 | CEV European Championship | Gold Medal |
Śliwka’s international résumé spans three different senior coaching eras and includes medals at the Olympics, World Championship, European Championship, World Cup and Volleyball Nations League.
Selected Club Honors
| Season / Year | Competition | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Polish Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2018–19 | Polish Championship | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Champion |
| 2019 | Polish Super Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2020 | Polish Super Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2020–21 | Polish Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2020–21 | CEV Champions League | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Champion |
| 2021–22 | Polish Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2021–22 | Polish Championship | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Champion |
| 2021–22 | CEV Champions League | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Champion |
| 2022–23 | Polish Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2022–23 | CEV Champions League | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Champion |
| 2023 | Polish Super Cup | ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle | Winner |
| 2024 | Emperor’s Cup | Suntory Sunbirds Osaka | Winner |
| 2024–25 | SV.League | Suntory Sunbirds Osaka | Champion |
| 2025 | AVC Men’s Champions League | Suntory Sunbirds Osaka | Bronze Medal |
| 2025–26 | Turkish Championship | Halkbank Ankara | Bronze Medal |
| 2025–26 | Polish Championship | PGE Projekt Warszawa | Bronze Medal |
His three consecutive Champions League titles with ZAKSA remain the centerpiece of the club résumé, but the Japanese championship added a major title in a different league and playing environment.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Polish Cup | Most Valuable Player |
| 2020 | Polish Super Cup | Most Valuable Player |
| 2021 | CEV Champions League Super Final | Most Valuable Player |
| 2023 | Polish Cup | Most Valuable Player |
| 2023 | Volleyball Nations League | Best Outside Hitter |
The 2021 Champions League award followed his 18-point performance against Trentino in ZAKSA’s historic first European title, while his 2023 VNL selection recognized his role in Poland’s first championship in that competition.
Family & Personal Life
Śliwka comes from a strongly volleyball-oriented family. His parents played the sport, his older sisters were also involved, and his younger brother Piotr developed into a professional outside hitter and Polish youth international. Piotr has described a competitive household in which the siblings played together and supported one another, while Aleksander has spoken publicly about following his brother’s development.
He is married to Polish beach volleyball player Jagoda Gruszczyńska, now Jagoda Śliwka. The two met through volleyball and were together for several years before marrying in 2024. Śliwka has spoken about the practical advantage of sharing life with another professional athlete: both understand the travel, long seasons and technical demands of the sport, and they regularly discuss each other’s matches.
Where Is Aleksander Śliwka Playing Now?
As of October 2026, Aleksander Śliwka plays for PGE Projekt Warszawa in Poland’s top men’s league and wears number 11. The current league registration lists him at 196 cm, 90 kg and a 352 cm attack reach.
His relationship with Projekt began unusually. He first joined at the end of April 2026 as a medical transfer for the injured Bartosz Bednorz and helped the club secure the league bronze medal only days after finishing third in Türkiye with Halkbank. He then returned to Warsaw on a full-season basis for 2026–27.
Śliwka also remains an active Poland international. His first complete national-team summer after the serious 2025 ankle injury produced VNL gold and another European Championship title in 2026, with Śliwka serving as captain during the VNL campaign.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition | Attacking / Scoring | Blocking | Serving | Reception / Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 SV.League | 260 attack points, 55.8% attack success | 27 points | 9 aces | 546 reception attempts; Japanese champion |
| 2026 VNL | 63 attack points | 6 points | 2 aces | 71 total points; Poland won gold |
| 2025–26 Polish bronze series | 12 attack points | 2 points | 0 aces | 14 points in three matches after medical transfer |
The Japanese season remains the larger club sample, while the 2026 VNL is especially relevant because it followed Śliwka’s long rehabilitation from the ankle injury that ended his 2025 international campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Aleksander Śliwka?
Aleksander Śliwka was born on 24 May 1995 in Jawor, Poland. He is 31 years old as of October 2026.
How tall is Aleksander Śliwka?
Śliwka is listed at 196 cm, approximately 6 feet 5 inches, in the current Polish league registration and Volleyball World records.
Is Aleksander Śliwka left-handed?
Yes. Śliwka is a left-handed outside hitter, a trait specifically noted in CEV coverage of his career.
Which club does Aleksander Śliwka play for?
Śliwka plays for PGE Projekt Warszawa. He joined the club permanently for the 2026–27 season after previously making a short medical-transfer appearance during the 2025–26 playoffs.
What number does Aleksander Śliwka wear?
He wears number 11 for PGE Projekt Warszawa and has also used number 11 with the Poland men’s national team in recent major international competitions.
How many Champions League titles has Aleksander Śliwka won?
Śliwka won three consecutive CEV Champions League titles with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He was the Super Final MVP when ZAKSA won its first title in 2021.
Has Aleksander Śliwka won an Olympic medal?
Yes. Śliwka won the silver medal with Poland at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
References
- TAURON Liga — Aleksander Śliwka 2026–27 player profile
- CEV — Aleksander Śliwka player profile and European competition history
- CEV Champions League — In focus: Aleksander Śliwka
- ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle — Aleksander Śliwka leaves after six seasons
- ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle — Medical update on Aleksander Śliwka’s hand injury
- SV.League — Aleksander Śliwka 2024–25 official player statistics
- Suntory Sunbirds Osaka — Aleksander Śliwka departure announcement
- Polish Volleyball Federation — Medical update on Aleksander Śliwka’s 2025 right-foot injury
- Halkbank Ankara — Aleksander Śliwka interview after returning from injury
- TAURON Liga — Aleksander Śliwka reflects on two bronze medals at the end of 2025–26
- Volleyball World — Aleksander Śliwka VNL 2026 player statistics
- CEV — Poland win back-to-back EuroVolley titles in 2026
