This study aimed to describe morphological characteristics of elite female volleyball players from the highest Spanish league, with special focus on differences by performance level and playing positions. Nearly all female players playing in the highest Spanish volleyball league during season 2003/2004 participated in this study (N=148 elite players, 92% of the total). Anthropometric, body composition and somatotype parameters according to performance and playing positions were analysed. The players' characteristics were as follows; body mass 72.3 ± 8.4 kg; stature 179.8 ± 7.1 cm; body fat 24.0 ± 3.1% and skeletal muscle mass 27.3 ± 2.9 kg. Mean somatotype was 3.1 ± 0.7; 3.4 ± 0.9; 3.1 ± 0.9 characterised as central with a tendency to balanced mesomorph. Top level players (whose teams were better classified in the team performance ranking) were taller, had higher skeletal muscle mass and ectomorphy, and had a lower level of adiposity markers, compared with lower level players. Players selected for their respective National teams (individual performance) were taller, heavier, had higher muscle mass and lower endomorphy than non-selected players. Differences according to playing positions were found. This study provides a complete set of reference data on anthropometry, body composition and somatotype of elite female volleyball players. Morphological differences have been identified according to performance level and playing position.

The aim of this paper was to study the game analysis used by Spanish volleyball coaches. The sample included 22 coaches from the first and second divisions of the men’s and women’s Spanish competition. The variables studied were: criteria used to evaluate technical and tactical actions, mathematical calculations used to analyse the data, reference values used, adaptations done in the statistical analysis, and situation in which performance is monitored. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the data were done. The use of game statistics is high in volleyball. It is used in practice, competition, opponent scouting, and post-analysis. Volleyball coaches use a category scale to monitor players’ and team’ actions based on the effect on the rally and/or the following game actions. Coaches make adaptations to this scale to fit their needs, perspective, goals, etc. This adaptation varies with regard to type of actions. The types of calculation most used for data analysis and establishing reference values are simple (total values and percentages), probably due to the high number of aspects to monitor or because coaches share the results of the monitoring with players. Coaches individualise their technical-tactical analysis to their needs in order to practice and compete properly.

Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs are being used to foster holistic growth in children and adolescents. The hybridized application of two or more programs of this type has acquired special relevance in recent years. Although their application is common in the school context, there are few research studies that attempt their implementation in an extracurricular context. This study analyzed the effects of an intervention based on a hybrid PYD program on personal responsibility (PR) and social responsibility (SR) in youth volleyball players in an extracurricular context. A hybrid program was applied during the competitive season, with a total of 37 sessions with 30 girl students (15 experimental and 15 control) aged between 8 and 10 years (M = 8.87, SD = 0.82). A convergent mixed methods design was applied to integrate the following: (a) semi-structured interviews and field notes and (b) personal and social responsibility questionnaires. The results indicated that the implementation of the hybrid program appeared to yield a positive perception of learning in both the participants and the coach. Although there were no statistically significant intergroup or intragroup differences, the findings suggest that the hybrid program seems to be effective in fostering PR and SR in youth girl volleyball players.

Decision-making is one of the most important life skills for young athletes to succeed in their daily lives and can be improved through Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs. Although the application of this type of programs has increased within educational and recreational sports, there is a lack of research relating PYD through competitive sports. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether an intervention with competitive female youth players improves their decision-making. A hybrid PYD program was applied (37 trainings and 14 games) using convergent mixed methods. 15 girls (8–10 years) and a male coach participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews and field notes were used to collect qualitative data and the Decision-Making Style in Sport questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. The results showed a positive perception of the improvement in decision-making in both the players and the coach; however, there was no statistical significance between the pretest and the posttest, and the integration between qualitative and quantitative data was mostly discrepant. Despite the lack of significance in the statistical analysis, the findings suggest that the intervention program appears to have beneficial effects on the development of decision-making skills in the players.

Blocking performance in volleyball is strongly affected by the time in which the action is executed. This study analyzes the time-motion variables in terms of the player’s role and movement direction (right or left), in different phases of the displacement and jump actions in the cross-over step block technique. A kinematic analysis was conducted with 10 senior male volleyball players. Two series of five repetitions were each recorded and classified in terms of middle-blockers (block in the center and sides of the net) and wing-players (only block in the sides). The results showed that the middle-blockers were significantly slower than the wing-players in the first (0.75 ± 0.24 vs. 0.66 ± 0.19 sec; p = 0.020; ES = −0.37 ± 0.30) and fourth phases (0.33 ± 0.8 vs. 0.29 ± 0.8 sec; p = 0.001; ES = −0.44 ± 0.31), and in the total time for blocking (3.15 ± 0.6 vs. 3 ± 0.58 sec; p = 0.003; ES = −0.23 ± 0.31). Overall, players were significantly faster when moving to the right side, showing performance asymmetries. The fastest phases were also performed just before the jump. These findings provide specific knowledge about the cross-over step block technique in its different phases and displacement direction. This information can be used to improve the movement time in the first defensive action in volleyball.