Effects of Plyometric and Contrast Training on Acceleration, Speed, and Reactive Agility in Volleyball Players

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the effects of plyometric training and contrast training on short-distance acceleration, sprint speed, and reactive agility in collegiate volleyball players. Forty-five male collegiate volleyball athletes were randomly assigned to a contrast training group (CT, n = 15), a plyometric training group (PT, n = 15), or a control group (CON, n = 15). The experimental groups completed an 8-week structured neuromuscular training program in addition to their regular volleyball practice, whereas the control group continued with routine training only. Performance assessments were conducted before and after the intervention and included acceleration over 0–5 m and 0–10 m, sprint speed over 5 m and 10 m, and reactive agility assessed using a Smart Speed timing gate system. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine group-by-time interactions, and effect sizes were calculated to determine the magnitude of training-induced adaptations. The results revealed significant group × time interactions for all acceleration and sprint speed variables (p < 0.001). Both the CT and PT groups demonstrated significantly greater improvements in short-distance acceleration and sprint speed compared with the control group. The CT group exhibited the greatest improvement in 0–10 m acceleration (−5.8%, d = 1.21), indicating a superior effect on explosive linear acceleration. In contrast, the PT group showed significant within-group improvements in reactive agility (−6.9%, d = 1.14), although no statistically significant differences were observed between groups for this variable. These findings suggest that both contrast and plyometric training are effective neuromuscular training methods for enhancing acceleration and sprint speed in collegiate volleyball players, while plyometric training may offer additional benefits for reactive agility. Coaches and practitioners may apply these training strategies selectively to optimize sport-specific performance demands in volleyball.