Voice Characteristics of Female College Athletes: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify changes in NCAA Division II female athletes' objective and subjective voice characteristics before, during, and after a regular volleyball season. Method Acoustic, aerodynamic, and Voice Handicap Index-10 data were collected from five female volleyball athletes at three timepoints: preseason, midseason, and postseason. Results Individual data suggest increases in objective and subjective voice characteristics at midseason, but many values returned to typical limits at postseason. Increases observed in acoustic, aerodynamic, and Voice Handicap Index-10 data for the volleyball team captain remained elevated at midseason and postseason. Conclusions Female volleyball players are a group of voice users who are required to communicate in the presence of background noise while engaging in varying levels of physical effort. As a result, they may experience negative changes to objective and/or subjective voice characteristics during a regular season. The present data, concerning changes in female volleyball athletes' voice characteristics, need to be confirmed by studies with a larger number of participants.