{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T15:40:30Z","timestamp":1773330030043,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,17]],"date-time":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1623888000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The purpose of this study was to compare the external load, internal load, and technical efficacy between the first and the second matches (M1 and M2) occurring in congested fixtures (two matches in two days) using the number of sets as a moderating factor. An observational analytic research design was adopted. Data from official volleyball matches were collected during the first competitive period of the championship, comprising 14 competitive games within 10 weeks. Ten male elite volleyball athletes (age: 21.7 \u00b1 4.19 years of age; experience: 6.2 \u00b1 3.8 years; body mass: 85.7 \u00b1 8.69 kg; height: 192.4 \u00b1 6.25 cm; BMI: 23.1 \u00b1 1.40 kg\/m2) participated in this study. Players were monitored for external load (number of jumps and height of jumps) and internal load (using the rate of perceived exertion\u2014RPE). Additionally, notational analysis collected information about attack efficacy and receptions made during matches. The mixed ANOVA revealed no significant interaction between time (M1 vs. M2) and number of sets for number of jumps per minute (p = 0.235; \u03b7p2 = 0.114), mean jump height (p = 0.076; \u03b7p2 = 0.193), RPE (p = 0.261; \u03b7p2 = 0.106), attack efficacy (p = 0.346; \u03b7p2 = 0.085), Positive reception (p = 0.980; \u03b7p2 = 0.002) and Perfect reception (p = 0.762; \u03b7p2 = 0.022). In conclusion, congested fixtures do not seem to affect the performance of volleyball players negatively.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk6020053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,17]],"date-time":"2021-06-17T21:29:16Z","timestamp":1623965356000},"page":"53","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Effects of Congested Fixture on Men\u2019s Volleyball Load Demands: Interactions with Sets Played"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3552-7534","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ricardo","family":"Lima","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Superior de Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0545-164X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Henrique de Oliveira","family":"Castro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education Department, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiab\u00e1 78060-900, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2038-393X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Afonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sport (CIFI2D), University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0911-8753","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gustavo De Conti Teixeira","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Campus Samambaia, Universidade Federal de Goi\u00e1s, Goi\u00e2nia 74690-900, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3023-3190","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00e9rgio","family":"Matos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Douro Higher Institute of Educational Sciences, 4560-708 Penafiel, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Superior de Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9813-2842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filipe Manuel","family":"Clemente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Superior de Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Covilh\u00e3, Instituto de Telecomunica\u00e7\u00f5es, 1049-001 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"454","article-title":"Measuring the training external jump load of elite male volleyball players: An exploratory study in Portuguese League","volume":"36","author":"Lima","year":"2019","journal-title":"Retos Nuevas Perspect Educ. 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