Longitudinal monitoring of various indicators of performance throughout a season for a NCAA Division I women\u27s volleyball team

The purpose of this longitudinal study is to recognize the training load distribution pattern over a competitive season period and its impact on physical performance and mental toughness for a NCAA female volleyball Division I team. The training load and its different indicators was calculated over the 18 week season period using the s-RPE. Fifteen female NCAA Division I volleyball players participated to this study. A weekly plyometric jump assessment was performed using the Reactive Strength Index (RSI), and a battery of tests including agility, vertical jump, anaerobic capacity, and a mental toughness questionnaire (MeBTough) was performed at the beginning and the end of the season. The results show a decrease of training load throughout the season with an increase of the ground contact time without impacting the RSI for the team. The RSI performance decreased throughout the season for some individuals in the team. The 2, 3, and 4 week cumulative load impacted the most the components of the RSI. A decrease of anaerobic performance from pre- to post-season was observed. Although not significantly, mental toughness seemed to change over time according to playing time. The current findings suggest that a certain amount of training needs to be maintain in NCAA Division I female volleyball players in order to maintain ground reactivity in the plyometric performance. Training load distribution and in-season lifting season program should be revisited in order to optimize performance through an in-season period. The findings also highlight the importance of individualizing the training according to the response of each individual