Welcome to Volleyball Analytics!

When volleyball coaches were asked which statistics were most important for success on the court, the responses included hitting efficiency, kill percentage, sideout percentage, point-scoring percentage, total combined errors, and points scored per game. At Volleyball Analytics we believe that the most important statistics are the ones that indicate exactly how a match was won or lost so that decisions can be made about the focus of future practices.

Volleyball Analytics is developing easy-to-use recording and analysis software that facilitates top-down examination of a volleyball match starting from the scores.

How it Works

Point-differences (points won minus points lost) are computed for each team in 6 categories: serving, 1st ball attacking, transition attacking, opponent aces & errors, opponent attacking off freeballs, and opponent attacking off block & covers. The 6 point-differences can be added together for each team to produce the total point-difference as shown below for the Men's Gold medal match of the 2008 Olympic Games between the USA and Brazil

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Total
USA 20 25 25 25 95
Brazil 25 22 21 23 91

Serving 1st Ball
Attack		 Transition
Attack		 Opponent
Aces &
Errors		 Opponent
Freeball
Attack 		Opponent
Block & Cover
Attack 		Total
USA -36 27 3 11 -3 2 4
Brazil -35 27 -1 10 -2 -3 -4

The two teams had point-differences within 1 point of each other in 4 of the 6 categories, but the USA held an advantage in transition attacking and was able to prevent Brazil from winning rallies after they sucessfully covered their own attack. The point differences can be divided by number of attempts to produce effectiveness and efficiency statistics and these statistics can be analyzed on a player or rotation basis to further identify areas for improvement.