Background: Volleyball requires dynamic activity, and the external load is related to winning or losing a game. This study aimed to compare external loads between won and lost matches and to describe position-specific load patterns in starters from the Korean men’s professional volleyball league. Methods: A total of 212 individual data points (113 from won matches and 99 from lost matches) were collected across 36 matches during the 2022–2023 season from a single team, including setters, outside hitters/opposite spikers (OH/OS), and middle blockers (MB). External loads were measured using inertial sensor-based wearable devices (Catapult, Melbourne, Australia) and included playerload (PL), total jumps (TJ), low-band jumps (LBJ), mid-band jumps (MBJ), high-band jumps (HBJ), explosive efforts (EE), horizontal explosive efforts (HEE), and repeated high-intensity efforts (RHIE). Results: PL, TJ, HBJ, and EE were significantly higher in won matches (p < 0.05). In the positional analysis, OH/OS players showed significant differences in TJ, HBJ, and EE, while MB players showed significant differences in TJ, EE, and HEE (all p < 0.05). When comparing positions in won matches, all external load variables showed significant differences (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The greater external loads were observed in matches that were won, and distinct external load patterns across positions suggest that position-specific training considerations may be beneficial.
Zhong et al. (Wed,) studied this question.