Many volleyball players wear ankle braces as a preventative measure. No matter what age group or experience level, because of the amount of jumping and often awkward landing involved in the sport, extra support is normally beneficial. Although there may be some negative effects on ankle strength, those minor weaknesses can be taken care of with basic ankle strengthening exercises. Overall, ankle braces assist in ankle support and do a lot for injury prevention. (This answer provided for NATA by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Education Program.)