Influence of Match Status on serve execution and technical-tactical behaviors in men's performance volleyball

The serve is one of the most important technical-tactical behaviors in men's performance volleyball and, at the same time, one of the least studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was threefold: first, to analyze the usual practices of these actions; second, to examine the relationship between the variables considered using Match Status as the reference criterion; and finally, to determine, at a multivariate level, the influence of the predictor variables on Match Status.

A total of 3,530 serves from 22 matches of the Spanish Superliga Masculina 2 during the 2023-2024 season were recorded. An observational methodology was applied within the mixed methods paradigm, using an ad hoc instrument with a field format and category system, and coding the data with the Lince Plus software. At the bivariate level, the association between Match Status and the other variables was assessed through contingency tables and the chi-square statistic. At the multivariate level, two classification models (a decision tree and a multinomial logistic regression) were trained using Match Status as the dependent criterion.

The results revealed significant associations between Match Status and six variables: Serve After Pause, Serving Player, Set Phase, Type of Serve, Result of the Previous Serve, and Execution Zone. The decision tree model identified the Result of the Previous Serve as the criterion with the highest informational gain, followed by Serve After Pause and the Server itself, and showed that serves executed after regulatory interruptions (e.g., time-outs) increased the probability of obtaining a favorable outcome. The multinomial regression confirmed the significant influence of Set Phase (χ² = 40.311; p < 0.001), Reception Zone (χ² = 17.784; p = 0.023), Serve After Pause (χ² = 173.907; p < 0.001), Result of the Previous Serve (χ² = 16.802; p = 0.002), and Type of Serve (χ² = 17.232; p = 0.002). Performing the serve after a time-out significantly increased the odds of being ahead [Exp(B) = 3.13], and reception in zone 4 was associated with greater success [Exp(B) = 10.80].

The conclusions highlight that serve effectiveness is multifactorial and provide practical applications for coaches to adjust serving and receiving strategies, considering match score dynamics and critical moments of the match.