I love to play Volleyball! I have had no formal training from playing on a team, and have been able to learn how to play from watching others, and just trying to play myself. With that being said, I have come to understand that there are some athletes who have the athletic advantage in most aspects of the game. In the game of Volleyball, there are many different types of movement that must be made in order to ensure the optimum level of play. You must be quick enough to get to a ball that is spiked, and patient enough to wait for the right moment of when to start the approach to spike the ball.
In the body there are two different types of muscle fibers that make up how quickly we as human beings move around. Type I is the first muscle fiber which is termed as "slow-twitch" muscles, and the other is Type II which is termed as "fast-twitch" muscles. "slow-twitch" muscles are just as is said, slow to react to certain situations, and it also means low force. However, slow-twitch muscles can last for long periods of time and will not fatigue easily. On the other hand, fast-twitch muscles provide quick movements, and high force contractions. For this reason, fast-twitch muscles fatigue very quickly and a person cannot rely on these muscle fibers for long periods of time.
With this being said, the way that players use their muscle fibers in volleyball, really depends on what type of muscle fibers the athlete has. I am not saying that you have to have a certain muscle fiber in order to play volleyball well, I am saying that having a well rounded amount of both muscle fibers is good, so that the body can adjust to every situation possible.
I am not a fast-twitched athlete. In high school I ran long distance in track and field, and I could run forever. However, if there are times when I need to be quick, I can be quick. In nowise am I an elite athlete! I have many skills to work on, but when it comes to playing volleyball I have been absolutely fine with slow-twitch muscle fibers. If you are looking to know how to approach volleyball and you are worried about whether or not your body can be quick enough to handle the intense play of volleyball. Your body and muscles can adapt to many different needs, and the many fast and slow pace plays in volleyball.
