LEUVEN, Belgium -- PGE Projekt Warszawa demonstrated the resilience and firepower that have made them one of the most dangerous teams in this season's CEV Champions League, rallying from precarious positions to claim a vital 3-2 victory over Volley Haasrode Leuven in Round 5 of the group stage.

The Polish side's triumph, sealed by scorelines of 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 25-19, and 15-7, was anchored by a towering performance from opposite hitter Bartosz Bednorz, who poured in 26 points to earn well-deserved MVP honors on a dramatic Tuesday evening in Belgium.

Warszawa came out swinging in the opening set, establishing early dominance and running away with a comfortable 25-18 victory that suggested a straightforward evening might be in store. But volleyball at this level rarely follows a script, and the hosts had other ideas.

Leuven, buoyed by a raucous home crowd, found their rhythm in the second set and began to make life increasingly uncomfortable for their Polish visitors. The Belgian side clawed their way to a 25-22 second-set victory, leveling the match and injecting genuine uncertainty into the contest.

The momentum had shifted decisively, and Leuven carried it into the third set. Despite Warszawa's best efforts, the hosts took the frame 25-23, suddenly holding a 2-1 advantage and putting themselves within touching distance of a statement victory on home soil.

It was at this point that Bednorz and his teammates showed their championship mettle. The 28-year-old Polish international elevated his game when it mattered most, spearheading a dominant fourth-set performance that saw Warszawa cruise to a 25-19 win and force a deciding fifth set.

The tiebreak proved to be no contest. Whatever tactical adjustments Warszawa made during the changeover paid immediate dividends, as they raced to an emphatic 15-7 victory to seal the match. Alongside Bednorz's heroics, German outside hitter Linus Weber contributed a crucial 15 points, providing the secondary scoring threat that proved the difference in the closing stages.

Yet while Warszawa will celebrate the two points earned from their away victory, the two sets dropped to Leuven could carry significant implications. In the cutthroat arithmetic of Champions League group standings, set ratios and points accumulated from individual matches can prove decisive when separating teams at the top of the table.

That calculation became considerably more complex thanks to events elsewhere in Pool E. In what stands as one of the most significant results of this season's group stage, Montpellier pulled off a stunning upset against pool leaders Cucine Lube Civitanova. The French side's surprise victory has blown the group wide open, ensuring that nothing is settled heading into the sixth and final round of fixtures on February 18.

Civitanova, who had appeared to be cruising toward top spot in Pool E, now find themselves looking nervously over their shoulders. Warszawa's victory keeps them firmly in contention, while Montpellier's result has given them renewed hope of progressing further in Europe's premier club competition.

The stage is set for a captivating finale. When the four teams in Pool E take to the court on February 18, qualification spots, seedings, and bragging rights will all be on the line. For Bednorz and his Warszawa teammates, the message from Leuven is clear -- they have the quality and the character to compete with anyone in this competition. Now they must prove it one more time when everything is on the line.