Correlation Between the Ball Speed of Spike and Upper Body Strength Assessed with Different Tests in Female Volleyball State Players

Harith Chan, Nieyla Shairah (2025) Correlation Between the Ball Speed of Spike and Upper Body Strength Assessed with Different Tests in Female Volleyball State Players. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the ball speed of spike and upper body strength assessed with different tests in female volleyball state players. This research consisted of eighteen SUKMA 2024 female volleyball athletes (age 20.41 ± 1.372 years; height 169.906 ± 3.1842 cm; weight 62.218 ± 5.2538 kg; experience 10.71 ± 2.889 years). Participants’ upper body strength was assessed using the Athletic Shoulder (ASH) test (I, Y, and T positions) performed with the spiking arm on a force platform, the 3RM bench press, and spike tests (standing, diagonal and linear spike) using the Stalker Sport radar gun which providing immediate output data in speed measurements. Statistical analyses were conducted using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between the ball speed of spike across all three spike tests and the 3RM bench press (standing r=.694, p=.002; diagonal r=.750, p=.001; linear r=.748, p=.001). However, no significant relationship was found between the ball speed of spike and the Athletic Shoulder (ASH) test in any of the three positions. These findings suggest that the 3RM bench press may serve as a more effective measure of upper body strength for volleyball athletes, as it better reflects the biomechanical demands of spiking. In contrast to the ASH test, isolated shoulder force production may not fully capture the dynamic and explosive nature of volleyball spiking. Keywords: Volleyball, ball speed of spike, Athletic Shoulder (ASH), 3RM Bench Press