Skills Proficiency and Tactical Awareness of Collegiate Varsity Volleyball Athletes in a State College

Abstract

Volleyball is a dynamic team sport that requires not only technical skill proficiency but also tactical awareness for effective performance during competitions. In collegiate sports, understanding athletes’ technical and cognitive abilities is essential in developing training programs that enhance both individual and team performance. This study aimed to investigate the skills proficiency and tactical awareness of varsity volleyball players at Camarines Norte State College, Daet. Specifically, it sought to determine the level of proficiency in fundamental volleyball skills and tactical awareness among varsity players, as well as to examine the relationship between these variables and their influence on athletes’ performance during games. Using a descriptive research design, survey questionnaires were administered and analyzed through weighted mean, rank, Pearson correlation, and t-test. Results revealed that players demonstrated high proficiency overall, with serving rated as highly proficient, while passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging were proficient but with setting and digging comparatively weaker. Tactical awareness was also high across offensive and defensive tactics, game awareness, decision-making, communication, leadership, and adaptability, with communication and leadership strongest and adaptability slightly lower. No significant differences were found between players’ and trainers’ assessments of both skills proficiency and tactical awareness, indicating shared perceptions and consistent evaluation standards. The findings suggest that while players possess strong foundational skills and cognitive understanding of the game, targeted improvements are needed in specific technical skills and adaptability to elevate performance. In conclusion, training programs were found effective in developing both physical and cognitive aspects, yet structured enhancement initiatives remain necessary. Therefore, recommendations include implementing skill-specific drills for weaker areas, maintaining advanced serving routines, integrating tactical simulations and situational drills to strengthen adaptability and decision-making, conducting collaborative evaluations and feedback sessions, and proposing a comprehensive volleyball development program combining technical, tactical, cognitive, and evaluative components to sustain strengths and improve weaknesses, ultimately enhancing both individual and team competitiveness.