Abstract
T he present study examined whether psychological predispositions of volleyball players could partially explain
game crises characterized by sequences of unforced errors. 84 female volleyball players participated, including 39
from the Top League and 45 from the Academic League. In the fi rst stage, a qualitative analysis of match recordings
identifi ed individual unforced errors. In the second stage, participants completed the Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive
Perfectionism Questionnaire and the Polish version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. Results
showed that some players were prone to committing consecutive errors following an initial mistake, leading to
point-loss streaks. Top League players who exhibited “cold hand eff ect” scored higher on the maladaptive perfectionism
scale. Near-signifi cant tendencies were also observed among these players for avoidance oriented coping.
The fi ndings suggest that a high level of maladaptive perfectionism may increase the likelihood of performance
deterioration in critical game situations.