Performance Streaks in Elite Beach Volleyball - Does Failure in One Sideout Affect Attacking in the Next?

Figure 1. Concept of sideout sequences. Example showing all five sideout sequences (seq.) during the first 14 rallies (circles) in a match. Capital letters indicate whether the sideout team (S) or the serving/defending (D) team scored. In rally 3, the sideout is played by player 2, the serving team scored, and player 2 received the next service in rally 4. Therefore, sequence 1 consists of the previous sideout 3 and next sideout 4. Sequence 4 aggregates the previous sideout in rally 3 and the next sideout in rally 10 by player 1. Rallies 8 and 9 do not interrupt sequence 4 because the length of the time window is three rallies only. One sideout can also be part of two sequences. For example, sideout in rally 6 is the next sideout in sequence 2 as well as the previous sideout in sequence 3. Sideouts in rallies 1 and 3 are not a sequence because they were played by different players. Sideouts in rallies 10 and 14 are also not a sequence, although they were played by the same player. The reason is that the time window between them is more than three rallies. The same applies to the pairs 1/7, 2/8, and 4/12.

Figure 2. Part (A) shows base incidences rates (#base) and base hit rates (Hitbase) of shots and spikes in sideouts grouped by Gender. Part (B) reports technique alternation rate (#alter) in next sideouts and hit rates (Hitbase), in next sideouts, in which technique is alternated, grouped by Gender and Outcome Previous Sideout. Part (C) shows incidence rates of shots (#shot) and hit rates of shots (Hitbase) in next sideouts grouped by Gender, Technique Previous Sideout and Outcome Previous Sideout. * indicates significant differences between conditions.

Figure 3. Match report used for supporting German national beach volleyball teams. It shows the profile of one female player in eight matches. Data include sideout sequences in which the previous sideout was played with a spike. The three courts in the left column show the number of spikes played diagonal (n = 68), mid (n = 34), and line (n = 28) in the previous sideouts. The other courts show direction (line, mid, diagonal) and technique (curved line with arrow ≙ shot, straight line with arrow ≙ spike) of attacks in the next sideouts after successful sideouts (second column) and after failure (third column). In this structure, e.g., the second court in the third row shows data of all sideouts after successful line spikes.