Correlations Between Preseason Functional Test Scores and Game Performance in Female Collegiate Volleyball Players.
Jason Brumitt, Christopher Patterson, Robert Dudley and 4 others
PMID 35949390WHAT IT FOUND
Preseason jump and agility tests showed low to moderate links to game stats, with starters outperforming nonstarters.
The Y-Balance Test results were inconsistent and poorly predictive. Coaches should rely on jump and hop tests for talent ID, not balance tests.
Key findings
01Starters jumped and hopped significantly farther and completed the agility course faster than nonstarters.
02Standing long jump and single-leg hop scores had low to moderate positive correlations with game stats like kills and digs, particularly for specific positions.
03The Y-Balance Test showed inconsistent correlations with game performance and was deemed not useful for measuring athletic ability in this group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study did not include Division I or community college players, so the results may not apply to those levels. Most participants were from Division III, which may skew the normative data. The sample size for some position groups was small, limiting the strength of position-specific findings. Correlation does not imply causation; these tests identify athletes who perform well but do not necessarily prove that improving test scores will improve game stats.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low to moderate correlations as proof that improving a player's test score will directly improve their game statistics. The study shows these tests are useful for identifying players who are already performing well (like starters), but it does not demonstrate that training to improve a test score causes better on-court performance.