Abstract
In this study, we investigated the factors related to the differences in abilities of female volleyball players
whose performance changed according to different matches in nine-player volleyball. The participants were
divided into two groups: one group included players who performed better in training matches than in official
matches (DG: declined group), and the other group included players who performed better in official matches
than in training matches (EG: enhanced group). A total of nine female volleyball players (24.9±1.36 years) from
the V9 Champ League 2023 participated in this study. The following factors were compared between the groups:
years of experience in nine-player volleyball and six-player volleyball, height, body-fat percentage, muscle
quality, reaction time, and design fluency test (DFT). DFT, a test that measures executive function, comprises
three tests (basic, filter, and switch tests) and participants were asked to make variations to connect five dots
with four lines in 60 seconds. Superior executive function may help individuals adapt to changes in situations
and inhibit impulsive actions. The scores of DFT used in this analysis were DFT-T (the total number of correct
answers across all three tests of DFT), DFT-B&F (the total number of correct answers in the basic and filter
tests of DFT), and DFT-S (the total number of mistakes, with the same answers being repeated considered as
mistakes). Our results showed that body-fat percentage was significantly lower in the EG than in the DG. In
addition, although the difference was not significant, the effect size in DFT-B&F was large, with a higher score
in the EG. These results revealed that participants who performed better in official matches than in training
matches had better executive function; the lower levels of body-fat percentage also helped the players
demonstrate high performance given their superior executive function.
