The purposes of this study included: 1. to identify the athletic psychological skills of university volleyball players prior to competition. 2. to investigate the differences in athletic psychological skills of university volleyball players prior to competition in regards to different variables relative to background characteristics. The research instrument was the modified version of the Evaluation Scale of Athletic Psychological Skills for volleyball players. A total of 120 players were randomly selected from the first level group A's semifinal competition of the 2002 male university students volleyball competition. A total of 108 returned questionnaires were identified as valid (90%). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Conclusions were as follows: 1. The athletic psychological skills of the athletes participating in the semifinal of the 2002 male university students volleyball competition were above average. The results reflect that the highest degree of athletic psychological skills by the players was coachability, followed by peaking under pressure and coping with adversity, confidence, motivation, and concentration. 2. Prior to competition, no significant differences were found in the athletic psychological skills of volleyball players playing different positions. First string volleyball players showed better performance on "treatmeat under pressure and coping with adversity" and "confidence" than did substitute players. Nationally ranked volleyball players were better able to "concentrate" than athletes on city and county teams.