The first Volleyball Canada Combine is now in the books. For one day at the Vaughan Volleyball Centre, 132 athletes from around the province arrived to undergo the same physical testing and measurement taking that the country’s elite athletes complete. While the Combine provided athletes with a direct statistical comparison with their peers in attendance, their marks can also be put next with those on the National Team.

The results the athletes achieved at the Combine were collected and will be stored in a Canadian database for each to track their progress over their career. In addition of the results being used to support their training development, athletes can share the data with potential post-secondary recruiters.

“It’s very exciting to see this event come to life,” said Michael Cook, the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Men’s National Team. “The Combine is an excellent way to get athletes across the country engaged, while also giving them a glimpse into the tests that the National Team athletes complete.”

Once the athletes checked-in at the venue they had had their height and wingspan taken followed by one-hand and two-hand reach measurements. After cycling through a warmup of push-ups, lunges, squats and dynamic stretching, the athletes were tested on their static vertical jumps. This testing block consisted of the counter-movement jump (measured jump height from a standing position), 10/5 RSI (10 jumps from standing position, while holding their hips), and the block touch (With hands in front of chest, the athlete mimics blocking a volleyball while trying to reach maximum height). Each test was performed three times to reach an average.

The next test was arguably the most anticipated of the day – the spike touch. Capturing their vertical, the test simulated the athletes’ maximum spike height with a full approached allowed. The athletes then moved to lateral movement with the Pro Agility test, which measured their top speed and reflex to directional changes.

The final stages of test transitioned to the court where serve and attack velocities were captured.

The Volleyball Canada Combine was a pilot, with the intention to take the event to other PTAs.