Behind the roaring cheers and the player adrenaline rush, there’s an unspoken battle faced on the volleyball courts—a battle against players and their injuries.

Injuries can affect match results, team performance, and a player’s physical health. Some of the most common injuries players face are sprained ankles, concussions, and knee contusions.

Rapid movements and sudden stops while playing on the court make ankle sprains a common occurrence for volleyball players. They are the result of players landing incorrectly, changing directions too fast, or bumping into teammates.

Mia Groom, a sophomore varsity volleyball player, dealt with a sprained ankle after coming down from a block against the opposing team. One of the player’s feet was under the net, and when she landed, she stepped on her feet, twisting her ankle.

“When I came down, the pain shot up my leg like lightning,” she recalled.

Another common injury volleyball players face are concussions. They are the result of a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. It causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.

In volleyball, they can happen in a variety of ways, from players getting hit with a ball, bumping into a teammate, or hitting their head on the floor.

Sofia Dean, a sophomore varsity volleyball player, received a concussion after diving for a ball and bumping into a teammate head-first.

In the moment, she knew that something was wrong, but was thankful it wasn’t bad enough that she had to be pulled out of the game.

The high-impact nature of volleyball puts players at high risk for all types of knee injuries. There are knee contusions, meniscus tears, and even ACL tears.

Ava von Teuber, a junior varsity volleyball player, faced a knee contusion after incorrectly landing on her knees from a dive for a ball.

Knee contusions, or a bruised knee, happen when the tissues around the knee joints are damaged. It’s a painful injury that can take lots of recovery time.

Ava recalled how after her injury she had to stop playing for several weeks. She even had to re-learn how to dive correctly to avoid it happening again.

“It took a month till I was ready to be back on the court. Once I was back, I had to constantly remind myself not to land on my knees,” she added

Since volleyball is a high-impact and fast-paced sport, it makes it even more important to remain safe and avoid injuries while playing. Some ways players can remain safe is by doing proper warm-ups, wearing protective gear, and following specific techniques.