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. The main objective of this study was to analyze variables that predicted attack effectiveness, in top-level teams depending on gender. Inferential analysis and multinomial logistic regression were applied to analyze 1512 attacks of men and women opposite players from 79 sets of the six top-ranked teams in the Men and Women 2018 World Championships. The analysis revealed that in female volleyball to increase the odds for a winning attack from the opposite player, teams have to pass the ball more accurately, setters have to set in a faster tempo and opposites avoid off-speed attack and spike in a diagonal direction from position 2. On the contrary, in male volleyball the odds for a winning attack from the opposite player are increased when male setters set accurate to the pre-agreement point on the net independent of the quality of the previous pass, opposite players hit in parallel and volleyball coaches select proper line-up and process tactical substitutions to increase the number of rotations with an opposite player in the offensive zone.
MarcelinoRAfonsoJMoraesJC, et al.
Determinants of attack players in high-level men’s volleyball. Kinesiology2014;
46: 234–241.
2.
MesquitaIMRCésarB.Characterisation of the opposite player’s attack from the opposition block characteristics. An applied study in the Athens Olympic games in female volleyball teams. Int J Perform Anal Sport2007;
7: 13–27.
3.
DrikosSNtzoufrasIApostolidisN.Bayesian analysis of skills importance in world champions men’s volleyball across ages. Int J Comput Sci Sport2019;
18: 24–44. Jul
4.
Millán-SánchezARabagoMJCUreñaA.Differences in the success of the attack between outside and opposite hitters in high level men’s volleyball. J Hum Sport Exerc2017;
12: 251–256.
5.
Millán-SánchezARabagoMJCÁlvare-HernándezM, et al.
Participation in terminal actions according to the role of the player and his location on the court in top-level men’s volleyball. Int J Perform Anal Sport2015;
15: 608–619.
6.
PalaoJMSantosJAUreñaA.Effect of setter’s position on the spike in volleyball. J Hum Mov2005;
48: 25–40.
7.
BarzoukaK.Comparison and assessment of the setting zone choices by elite male and female volleyball setters in relation to the reception quality. J Phys Educ Sport2018;
18: 2014–2021.
8.
PalaoJMManzanaresPOrtegaE.Design, validation, and reliability of an observation instrument for technical and tactical actions in indoor volleyball. Eur J Hum Mov2015;
34: 75–95.
9.
ForthommeBCroisierJ-LCiccaroneG, et al.
Factors correlated with volleyball spike velocity. Am J Sports Med2005;
33: 1513–1519.
10.
LimaRPalaoJMMoreiraM, et al.
Variations of technical actions and efficacy of national teams’ volleyball attackers according to their sex and playing positions. Int J Perform Anal Sport2019;
19: 491–502.
11.
BergelesNBarzoukaKNikolaidouME.Performance of male and female setters and attackers on Olympic-level volleyball teams. Int J Perform Anal Sport2009;
9: 141–148.
12.
JoãoPVLeiteNMesquitaIMR, et al.
Sex differences in discriminative power of volleyball game-related statistics. Percept Mot Skills2010;
111: 893–900.
13.
SotiropoulosKBarzoukaKTsavdaroglouS, et al.
Comparison and assessment of the setting zone choices by elite male and female volleyball setters in relation to the quality of the defence. Facta Univ Ser Phys Educ Sport2019;
18: 57–68.
14.
CostaGDCTAfonsoJBrantE, et al.
Differences in game patterns between male and female youth volleyball. Kinesiology2012;
44: 60–66.
15.
CostaGDCTAfonsoJBarbosaRV, et al.
Predictors of attack efficacy and attack type in high-level Brazilian women’s volleyball. Kinesiology2014;
46: 242–248.
16.
PalaoJMManzanaresPOrtegaE.Techniques used and efficacy of volleyball skills in relation to gender. Int J Perform Anal Sport2009;
9: 281–293.
17.
AfonsoJMesquitaIMRPalaoJM.Relationship between the tempo and zone of spike and the number of blockers against the hitters. Int J Volleyb Res2005;
8: 19–23.
18.
AraújoRCastroJMarcelinoR, et al.
Relationship between the opponent block and the hitter in elite male volleyball. J Quant Anal Sport2011;
6: 1–12.
19.
PalaoJMSantosJAUreñaA.Effect of team level on skill performance in volleyball. Int J Perform Anal Sport2004;
4: 50–60.
20.
Barzouka K, Sotiropoulos K, Tsavdaroglou S, Kosiva E. Comparison of elite male and female volleyball setters regarding the time-zone setting choice and their performance per rotation. Exercise Soc 2019; 63: 26–38.
21.
CostaGDCTPereira MaiaMEvangelistaB d B, et al.
Volleyball: analysis of attack performed from the backcourt on men’s Brazilian volleyball superleague (Brazilian championship). Rev Bras Cineantropometria e Desempenho Hum2017;
19: 233–241.
22.
TsavdaroglouSSotiropoulosKBarzoukaK.Comparison and assessment of the setting zone choices by elite male and female volleyball setters in relation to opposing block organization. J Phys Educ Sport ®2018;
18: 2147–2152.
23.
MarcelinoRMesquitaIMRAfonsoJ.The weight of terminal actions in volleyball. Contributions of the spike, serve and block for the teams’ rankings in the world league 2005. Int J Perform Anal Sport2008;
8: 1–7.
24.
MarcelinoRMesquitaIMRPalaoJM, et al.
Home advantage in high-level volleyball varies according to set number. J Sport Sci Med2009;
8: 352–356.
25.
LaportaLNikolaidisPThomasL, et al.
Attack coverage in high-level men’s volleyball: organization on the edge of chaos?J Hum Kinet2015;
47: 249–257.
26.
EomHJSchutzNR.Statistical analysis of volleyball team performance. Res Q Exerc Sport1992;
63: 11–18.
27.
RamosACoutinhoPSilvaP, et al.
Entropy measures reveal collective tactical behaviours in volleyball teams: how variability and regularity in game actions influence competitive rankings and match status. Int J Perform Anal Sport2017;
17: 848–862.
28.
MichalopoulosGSotiropoulosKDrikosS, et al.
Spatiotemporal analysis of setting per game complex and team rotation in junior volleyball. Trends Sport Sci2020;
27: 141–148.
29.
AfonsoJMesquitaIMRMarcelinoR, et al.
Analysis of the setter’s tactical action in high performance women’s volleyball. Kinesiology2010;
42: 82–89.
30.
AltmanDG.Practical statistics for medical research.
London:
Chapman & Hall, 1991.
31.
CohenJ.Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. 2nd ed.Hilsdale, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.
32.
ZetouEMoustakidisATsigilisN, et al.
Does effectiveness of skill in complex I predict win in men’s Olympic volleyball games?J Quant Anal Sport2007;
3: 1–11.
33.
StankovicMPericDRuíz-LlamasG, et al.
Effects of experimental volleyball rules quantified by type and number of jumps, hits and contacts. Sport Mont2017;
15: 9–16.
34.
DrikosSTsoukosA.Data benchmarking through a longitudinal study in high-level men’s volleyball. Int J Perform Anal Sport2018;
18: 1–11.
35.
KovacsB.The effect of the scoring system changes in volleyball: a model and an empirical test. J Quant Anal Sport2009 Jul 20;
5: 410–1559.
36.
LoureiroMHurstMValongoB, et al.
A comprehensive mapping of high-level men’s volleyball gameplay through social network analysis: analysing serve, side-out, side-out transition and transition. Monten J Sports Sci Med2017;
6: 35–41.
37.
González-SilvaJDomínguezAMFernández-EcheverríaC, et al.
Analysis of setting efficacy in young male and female volleyball players. J Hum Kinet2016;
53: 189–200.
38.
PeñaJCasalsM.Game-Related performance factors in four European men’s professional volleyball championships. J Hum Kinet2016;
53: 223–230.
39.
PapadimitriouKPashaliESermakiI, et al.
The effect of the opponents’ serve on the offensive actions of Greek setters in volleyball games. Int J Perform Anal Sport2004;
4: 23–33.
40.
ContiGFreireAEvangelistaB, et al.
Brazilian high-level men’s volleyball: Characterization of the attack performed by the opposite player. Kinesiology (Zagreb, Online)2018;
50: 211–217.
