Predictors of Attack Performance in High-Level Male Volleyball Players

Abstract

1Purpose: The volleyball attack is the action winning the majority of points during a game and 2 attack effectiveness (AE) is therefore one of the most important predictors of victory. 3Traditionally, greater vertical jump heights (VJH) and higher spike speeds (SS) have been 4 thought to increase AE, however relevant research is limited. Our aim was to assess the 5 relationship of VJH and SS with AE as well as identify possible associations of demographic 6 and anthropometric factors, including common volleyball injuries, with VJH, SS and AE. Methods: Twenty two male volleyball players from two teams in the top division of the 8 Cypriot championship were included in the study. VJH was measured with the "jump-and-9 reach" test, SS was tested with a sports speed radar and AE was calculated from performance 10 sheets of four games between the two teams. 11Results: Significant results included strong, positive correlations between VJH and SS, %lean 12 mass and SS, body-bone% and SS, height and SS, and frequency of resistance training and SS. 13AE was found to increase with increasing age, while SS over 90km·h -1 appeared to have a 14 negative effect on AE. History of pain in the dominant shoulder and in the ankles/knees was 15 associated with lower SS and higher VJH respectively. 95Athletes who had at least one positive test on their dominant side were included in the 'shoulder 96 impingement' group. 97For an illustration and explanation of these tests the reader is referred to our previous article 12 . 98After a volleyball-specific 15-minute warm-up, each player was instructed to perform a vertical as an attack that won a point without the opposing team setting the ball for a counter-attack. 118'Tips' and 'roll shots' were included in the analysis. Videos of two matches were subsequently 119 watched and AE of each spiking player was calculated manually to confirm the accuracy of the 120 data of the team performance reports. 121The data for each team was collected before (interview and examination), during (SS) and after RESULTS 138The demographics and anthropometrics of the sample are shown in table 1. 139Pain history (shoulder and ankle/knee) and characteristics (mean±sd and range) of SS, AE and 140VJH are presented in table 2. 141Of the 10 athletes with ankle/knee pain history, 4 had knee pain history (2 past, 2 present) and 142 6 ankle pain history (4 past, 2 present). Two players had both ankle/knee pain history (one right 143 ankle -past, and the other left knee -past) and dominant shoulder pain history (both present). 187We believe that the most striking finding of the present study is the significantly lower AE with 188SS>90 km·h -1 compared with speeds<90 km·h -1 . Our assumption is that greater SS may be the 197The positive correlation between age and AE may be attributed to one of the following two not compromised compared to those without history of ankle/knee pain, it was in fact greater. 213We speculate that lower limb pain/injury in this group of players may be a consequence of their 21...

Examining the Attacks After the 20th Scores in Volleyball According to Nationality and Positions

“…Challoumas and Artemiou emphasized the importance of the score taken by the attack upon winning the match, and expressed that the studies to be carried upon developing vertical leaping and attack technique would improve the attack performance (Challoumas & Artemiou, 2018). Medeiros, Mesquita, Marcelino & Palao stated that attack efficiency was highly relational with the technique and age (Medeiros, Mesquita, Marcelino, & Palao, 2014).…”

“…The chance for a successful attack increases when all these factors are developed at a high level and the teams use varieties of attacks including numerous group tactics (Frohner, 1989;Sentuna, 2005). In volleyball, the teams win most of the scores from the attacks; therefore, efficieny of the attack is one of the most important determinants of victory (Challoumas & Artemiou, 2018).…”

Validation of a questionnaire to identify variables that influence the decision-making of setters on different process in Volleyball

“…Based on the data obtained with the questionnaire, an important result to be highlighted was to verify that all information contained in the questionnaire, even with different proportions, may interfere with the DM process of the setters. Thus, in volleyball, the setter's DM might be dependent of the interaction of various technical and tactical factors 32 , and not just the individual capacity of the attacker 14,16 , psychological constraints 14 or even physical factors, as highlighted by Challoumas and Artemiou 33 who, in their studies, found a correlation between attack efficiency and anthropometric factors. In this sense, when investigating the DM of setters, authors should consider that it might be influenced by different, varied factors.…”

Does the Amount of Jumping with Respect to Positions During Volleyball Matches Affect the Team Success at the End of the Season?

“…Volleyball players' jump skills should be higher than average to beat their opponents and to be successful. Since, jumping skill is one of the most important disputable reason which affects the success in volleyball, according to volleyball coaches and players (Sheppard, Newton, & McGuigan, 2007;Challoumas & Artemiou, 2018;Kitamura et al, 2017).…”