In volleyball, the opposite player is the most requested hitter since she/he is the player with a higher probability of successfully carrying out attacks. Thus, the main objective of this study was to analyze and compare the spatiotemporal parameters and the effectiveness of attack for opposite players in top-level teams depending on gender. Inferential analysis was applied to analyze 1523 attacks coming from the opposite player (W=910and M=613) from 79 sets (W=42 and M=37) of the top-ranked teams in Women and Men 2018 World Championships. The analysis revealed that in complexes I and II male opposite players attacked more often from zone 1, using 2nd fast attack tempo, against a single or triple block, more effectively in complex I but with more errors in complex II than women. In female volleyball, opposites attacked more often from zones 2 and 6, in 2nd slow and 3rd tempo of attack while they faced up more often than men double or open block. In complex III women opposite players attacked from zone 2, using 2nd slow and 3rd tempo against double block more frequently than men who attacked from zone 1, in 2nd fast tempo against a single or triple block.

The aim of the present study was to identify volleyball skills that best discriminate between winning and losing in a set with the minimum score difference of men’s and women’s volleyball. The data have been collected for men from 140 and for women from 98 teams’ performances in all sets finished with 2 points difference between the top four teams in the final ranking during the men’s and women’s Greek Volleyball League for five seasons (2013–2014 until 2017–2018). The primary recorded and evaluated skills from 119 sets for men and women respectively are: 3422 and 2419 serves, 2916 and 2120 passes, 2566 and 1656 attacks after serve’s pass, 1518 and 1804 counter-attacks (after defense) and 1595 and 818 blocks. For the evaluation scale of each skill, a six-level ordinal scale was employed, with the value of “one” indicating a poorly executed skill and the value of “six” an excellent executed skill. The analysis revealed significant multivariate differences in gender and in the type of result and not in their interaction. A follow-up discriminant analysis showed that attack 1 is the most important performance indicator for male teams. Meanwhile, for female teams, the most important performance indicators are winning attack after serve’s pass but also counter-attack. The discriminant function classified correctly 67% and 58%, for men and women respectively, allowing space for further improving the critical performance indicators for both genders.

Introduction. In volleyball, setting is a critical skill from a technical and tactical point of view, as it affects attack directly: the better the quality of the setter’s performance, the more excellent attack actions are carried out by men and women attackers. Aim of Study. This study aimed to assess the spatial and temporal characteristics of the setting choices made by junior male volleyball setters and their performance concerning the game complex per match rotation. Material and Methods. A three-member group of experienced coaches assessed the setting zones choices, the setting tempo, and the performance of junior male setters from 20 volleyball games of teams competing in the final phase of the 2016 Greek Junior Championship. A five-level ordinal scale was used to evaluate the setting. The test of independence for the categorical variables was carried out using the chi-square test (χ2 ). Following the overall independence test, the difference in proportions among all levels of variables was tested. Results. Results showed that zone 4 was the junior setters’ first choice irrespective of the game complex. More detailed, in Complex II, the most preferable setting zones were 4 and 6, while zone 3 was the primary selection in Complex I. The setting in the first tempo was the most favorite option in Complex I, although second slow tempo was the most frequently used setting option in Complex II. As for the quality of the setting, the dominant value for both complexes was quality level 2. Conclusions. In conclusion, the junior male setters directed the ball mainly to position 4 by using the slow 2nd tempo settings irrespective of the game rotation. Moreover, they showed a higher proportion of excellent setting actions and used fast settings (first tempo) more frequently in Complex I than in Complex II. KEYWORDS:

{The purpose of this study was to investigate the areas from which the serves performed by elite volleyball players were carried out, the zones into where they were directed and their performance in respect to the serve type used per gender. A three-member group of coaches assessed the serve actions of male (M) and female (F) elite players from 20 volleyball games (M=10

{The aim of this study was to investigate the current trends of the serve skill for each one of the in-game roles of the players for both genders in high-level volleyball. The serve actions of male (M) and female (F) elite players from 20 volleyball games (M = 10