CORRELATION BETWEEN SELECTED ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES AND QUALITY OF UNDERHAND SERVE RECEPTION PERFORMANCE IN VOLLEYBALL

The aim of this research is to verify if there is a correlation between certain anthropometric variables of the upper extremities and the quality of underhand serve reception performance in volleyball. The research was conducted with 93 male examinees, first-year students at the Faculty of Kinesiology University of Zagreb (n=93). The examinees completed their first semester of studies that included the course Volleyball. The sample of examinees included only individuals with no prior experience in training volleyball. For each of the variables descriptive statistics were calculated (minimum and maximum result, arithmetic mean and standard deviation). The independent set included 10 anthropometric variables measured according to the IBP. For the purpose of this study, the numerically defined variable Assessment of Underhand Serve Reception /USR/ was isolated as a dependent (criterion) variable. The correlation between independent and the criterion variable was calculated by using the non-parametric Spearman correlation. A statistically significant correlation can be noted between the criterion variable Assessment of Underhand Serve Reception /USR/ and independent variables – Arm Length /AL/ and Wrist Diameter /WD/. The conclusion can be made that there is a statistically significant effect of the variables Arm Length /AL/ and Wrist Diameter /WD/ on the variable Assessment of Underhand Serve Reception /USR/. The relation is positive and low impact. Simply put, it can be said that a better assessment was achieved by the examinees who, while preparing for the underhand serve reception, formed a longer and wider platform that enabled them an easier correction immediately prior to contacting the ball.