Graduate Program

Kinesiology and Sports Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

Summer 2024

Thesis Director

Andrew J. Kerins

Thesis Committee Member

Michael D. Gillespie

Thesis Committee Member

Maranda D. Schaljo

Abstract

Understanding the outcome of volleyball games is necessary for coaches before, after, and during a season. There are several ways to gain this understanding, but statistical analysis is fundamental to see the minimum patterns of behavior that influence wins and losses in Volleyball. Furthermore, this analysis helps identify the optimal approach to achieving a goal and determining the most effective alternative to success. Scoring points in Volleyball involves three key skills: serving, blocking, and attacking. Among these skills, attacking plays the most relevant role in determining the outcome of a match. The position on the court (e.g. Outside Hitter, Middle Blocker, Right-Side Hitter) that could be most crucial for attacking can vary among the competition. Researching the different positions can aid the recruitment process and points out analysis to achieving a favorable outcome. Therefore, this study sought to demonstrate that the attack was the most relevant skill to evaluate in the Ohio Valley Conference Regular Seasons 2022 and 2023. Using a correlational analysis, this study found that the correlation between attack performance in the OVC and winning matches was r= 0.81 to r= 0.86, considerably higher than the average of r= 0.60 seen in the literature reviewed for this study. These results demonstrate that the influence of attack is relevant for teams to be closer to winning more games. Consequently, tracking the attack by role during games might be an appropriate analysis to add during an off-season to allow coaches to work on the most relevant skill.

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