Pre-Competition Stress in Female Volleyball Players: The Role of Experience, Sleep, and Coping

TL;DR

Female volleyball players often experience poor sleep and stress before competitions, with less experienced players being more affected.

Contribution

The study identifies sleep quality, coping strategies, and athletic experience as key predictors of pre-competition stress in female athletes.

Findings

About 60% of female volleyball players reported poor sleep quality before competition, regardless of league level.

Less experienced athletes showed higher stress levels, influenced by sleep quality and reliance on social support.

Abstract

What are the main findings?
About 60% of female volleyball players reported poor sleep quality before competition, regardless of league level.Athletic experience, sleep quality, and reliance on social support predicted perceived stress, with less experienced athletes showing higher stress levels.

About 60% of female volleyball players reported poor sleep quality before competition, regardless of league level.

Athletic experience, sleep quality, and reliance on social support predicted perceived stress, with less experienced athletes showing higher stress levels.

What are the implications of the main findings?
Developing adaptive coping strategies and improving sleep hygiene may reduce pre-competition stress among female athletes.Targeted psychological and recovery programs are particularly important for less experienced players preparing for competition.

Developing adaptive coping strategies and improving sleep hygiene may reduce pre-competition stress among female athletes.

Targeted psychological and recovery programs are particularly important for less experienced players preparing for competition.

Background/Objectives: Athletes face both daily and sport-related stressors while being expected to perform at an optimal level. Effective recovery, particularly adequate sleep, plays a key role in psychophysiological restoration and performance, whereas sleep deprivation may impair functioning and increase perceived stress. This study examined the associations between coping strategies, sleep quality, athletic experience, competitive level, and perceived stress during the pre-competition period among female volleyball players. Methods: Ninety-one athletes (aged 18–35, M = 23.03, SD = 4.37) from three Polish professional leagues—Tauron (n = 31), First League (n = 30), and Second League (n = 30)—completed an online battery including the Stress Coping Strategies in Sport Questionnaire (SR3S), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and a demographic survey. Results: Based on PSQI scores, approximately 60% of the athletes were classified as poor sleepers. No significant differences in sleep quality or perceived stress were found across leagues. However, athletes competing in higher leagues reported more frequent use of mental coping strategies. Athletic experience, sleep quality, and the coping strategy of seeking social support were significantly associated with perceived stress. Players with less experience, poorer sleep, and a greater tendency to seek social support reported higher stress levels. The positive association between support-seeking and stress likely reflects reactive coping among more stressed athletes rather than a maladaptive effect of social support. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of promoting adaptive coping and sleep hygiene in competitive sport, particularly among less experienced female athletes during the pre-competition period.