The quick answer is no. You don't need knee pads to play volleyball. But you may want them for several reasons.
First, if you're new to the sport, you may land on your knees quite a bit. If you have not yet learned how to dive for a ball without hitting your knees on that hard gym floor, you should definitely invest in some knee pads.
If you have a fear of diving for a ball, and you're more comfortable going down to your knees than sprawling on your side and your hip, knee pads are for you.
As you continue to play, you will get much more comfortable with diving for the ball and you will land on your knees less and less. At that point you may want to try going with a skinny knee pad or eliminating them all together.
Bubble vs Skinny Knee Pads
There are two main types of knee pads--bubble knee pads and skinny knee pads.
Bubble Knee Pads
If you're a beginner, the bubble knee pad is for you. It has a thick pad that will protect your knees very well when you hit the floor. The drawbacks is they are bulky, they may not move well with you or they may slide out of place.Skinny Knee Pads
Skinny knee pads provide good knee protection, but they tend to move more with you as you play and they don't slide out of place as easily. They do not provide the same protection as the bubble knee pads, but if you're hitting your knees less this won't be an issue.
Bubble Knee Pad
Pros- Great for beginners
- Lots of knee protection
Skinny Knee Pad
Pros
- Better fit
- Stay in place
- Great for experienced players
Cons
- Less padding
- No padding on sides of knees
