Position-Related Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Field-Test Physical Performance of Elite Female Volleyball Players: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

Background: Volleyball court roles impose distinct physical demands, yet multi-domain position-specific profiles of elite female players are scarce. This study compared anthropometric characteristics and field-test physical performance across five positions. Methods: Fifty players (10 per position: setter, libero, outside hitter, opposite, middle blocker) from the Turkish Sultans League (2024–2025) completed anthropometry and a field-test battery (countermovement, block and spike jumps, standing long jump, drop jump, reactive strength index, seated chest-pass and overhead medicine-ball throws, Davies test, 10 m sprint, Yo-Yo IR1). One-way ANOVA, Games–Howell post hoc tests, partial η2, Cohen’s d and Benjamini–Hochberg correction (nineteen omnibus tests; 180 pairwise contrasts corrected across the complete contrast set) were applied. Results: Fourteen outcomes remained significant, with large effects (η2 = 0.29–0.62, p ≤ 0.003) for height, standing reach, mass, BMI, circumferences, all three vertical jumps, reactive strength index, both throws and Yo-Yo IR1 distance. Waist-to-hip ratio, standing long jump and 10 m sprint did not differ, but were underpowered for small-to-moderate effects rather than equivalent. Middle blockers and opposites were tallest, with the greatest jumping and throwing outputs; setters and liberos were smallest, and setters—but not liberos—covered significantly more Yo-Yo IR1 distance than the three attacking positions; outside hitters were intermediate. After adjustment for stature, the vertical-jump and reactive-strength differences persisted; whereas, the medicine-ball throw and Yo-Yo IR1 differences did not. Conclusions: Elite female volleyball players display distinct positional profiles in body size, vertical jumping and reactive strength, with outside hitters intermediate on most outcomes. Estimated VO2max is an indirect proxy derived from Yo-Yo IR1 distance and is not interchangeable with gas-exchange measurement; all pairwise contrasts and applied recommendations are exploratory and require prospective validation.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Applied Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗