Abstract
Involvement in University Women’s Volleyball necessitates the presence of training models that can ensure the development of both physical preparedness and technical skills, but empirical research evidence about these models from actual college settings is still scarce. In this regard, the present study evaluated three current university volleyball training settings—practice-intensive training, standard training, and control irregular training setting—for their effects on physical preparedness and technical performance in a 16-week timeframe. Participants in this study consisted of 200 young female athletes studying in one of the two universities in Kazakhstan, ranging in age between 18 and 24 years. Measurements included the following parameters: time of completion of 30-m running, vertical jump height, fatigue index, heart rates in rest and recovery, serve accuracy, serve-reception accuracy, and technical execution ratings. Practice-intensive training demonstrated the best combination of positive results in all these measures (faster sprint time, better jumping values, reduced fatigue index, better heart response, serve and reception accuracy, and technical execution). Standard training resulted in slightly less pronounced changes but in similar directions, while control group revealed no substantial shifts on most of these indicators. Analysis of correlations also indicated that higher levels of physical preparedness usually coincided with higher technical performance and vice versa.