Jump load and landing patterns of collegiate female volleyball players during practice and competition

BACKGROUND: Overuse lower extremity injuries are common in women's court volleyball players and are likely due to the repetitive jumping and landing the sport requires. The purpose of this study was to quantify jump load during collegiate women's volleyball, describe the quantity of double-leg (DL) to single-leg (SL) landing strategies, and compare loads and landing strategies between games and practices. METHODS: Fourteen collegiate Division-1 women's court volleyball players participated in the study. Volleyball-specific activity demands were quantified using video analysis from three consecutive practices and one match. Investigators recorded the total frequency of jump landings, and the frequency and percentage of double-leg (DL) landings and single-leg (SL) landings of fourteen collegiate Division-1 women's court volleyball players. Repeated measures ANOVAs identified differences in jumping load and percentages of DL and SL landings among practices and between practices and games (P<0.05). RESULTS: On average, there was a significantly higher overall jumping load (P=0.01) and frequency of DL (P=0.03) and SL (P=0.04) landings during practice than games, yet no differences between practices (P>0.05). Approximately 75% of all landings were DL, and individual patterns of DL to SL landings were consistent across events (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Women's collegiate volleyball demands high volumes of repetitive jumping and landing with SL and DL support that may make these athletes susceptible to overuse injuries, especially during practice.