Vertical Jump and Agility Performance Improves After 8-week Conditioning Program in Youth Female Volleyball Athletes: 2955 Board #1 May 31 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Volleyball athletes must employ specific conditioning exercises with high levels of force, high rates of speed, and quick changes-of-direction. Volleyball sport specific vertical jumping ability can be assessed through various types of vertical jumping protocols such as the block vertical jump (BVJ), the countermovement vertical jump (CMJ), and the two-step approach vertical jump (AVJ). Sport specific agility testing for volleyball can be assessed with a 9-cone (9C) test to determine the athletes’ ability to generate quick and accurate movement with change-of-direction and/or acceleration and deceleration. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if an 8-week combined high intensity interval training and plyometric (HIIT-PT) conditioning program improves performance on three vertical jump protocols and agility time in youth female volleyball athletes. METHODS: Eleven female youth volleyball players (ages: 15±2.7 yrs.; height: 68.2±1.3 in; mass: 143.5±14.8 lbs) completed an 8-week summer HIIT-PT conditioning program. The 8-week summer conditioning program consisted of combined 2 x week (60 min each) high intensity interval exercises and 2 x week (60 min each) plyometric exercises. Three vertical jump protocols (BVJ, CMJ, AVJ) and an agility test (9C) were administered at the beginning of the first week and at the end of week 8 of the summer HIIT-PT conditioning program. RESULTS: Prior to data comparisons, a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of normality was performed for each of the four variables and determined to be from a normal distribution (BVJ: p = .096, CMJ: p = .200, AVJ: p = .187, 9C: p = .127). A series of paired sample t-tests were performed to compare pretest and posttest vertical jump heights (inches) and agility times (seconds). All three vertical jump protocols significantly increased (BVJ: 14.6 vs 16.1, p.000; CMJ: 17.3 vs 18.4, p.000; AVJ: 21.0 vs 23.1, p.001) and agility times decreased (9C: 25.3 vs 23.6, p.000) following the 8-week HIIT-PT summer conditioning program. CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate that employing an 8-week combined HIIT-PT conditioning program may improve jumping and change-of-direction outcomes in youth female volleyball athletes.