Molly Rigg
Research Mentor(s): Michael Mignano
Mentor Department: Movement Science
Authors:
Session: Session 6 (3:00pm – 3:50pm)
Presentation Type: Oral
Abstract
Division I NCAA Women’s Volleyball is a sport with limited historical data, making research pertaining to year-to-year data challenging. The topic of “home advantage†has been studied for many high-profile sports, but data for the sport of volleyball is less available. With the recent Big Ten Conference realignment, volleyball teams face new competition, longer travel distances, and altered scheduling, all of which could affect home advantage. Using data from Big Ten volleyball programs before and after the conference realignment in the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons, this study examines how changes in travel schedules and conference structure influence team performance at home. Data was collected on match outcomes, scoring differentials, and team performance across the 2023 and 2024 seasons to identify trends in home advantage. Additionally, miles traveled and nights spent away from home were analyzed to determine their correlation with game performance, and thus home advantage. As evidenced by numerical data collection, the findings strongly suggest that Big Ten volleyball teams benefit from playing on their home court. The conference realignment has also contributed to this shift, especially for newly entered teams that now face longer travel times. Overall, the study underscores the significance of logistical and travel factors in home advantage, specifically in NCAA Division I Big Ten women’s volleyball.
