140 Unknown Facts About Volleyball

Interesting Facts About Volleyball

The first recorded two-person beach volleyball game was played in 1930 in Santa Monica, CA.
Volleyball was first a demonstration sport in the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, yet it wasn’t until the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo when the first medals were awarded.
The FIVB was founded in 1947 to monitor men's play and in 1952 added women's rules and guidelines.
Volleyball was originally called Volley Ball until 1952 when it became a compound word.
The Association of Volleyball Players (AVP) was founded in 1983.
The first Beach Volleyball medals were awarded in 1996 in Atlanta.
The Volleyball Hall of Fame was founded in 1971 and is located in Holyoke MA. It has over 100 honorees including players, coaches, officials, and contributors.
The court’s dimensions are 60’ X 30’ – the same for both men and women.
Each half is divided into a 30’ X 30’ square making it the smallest playing surface, which holds the most players.
The height of the net for men is 7’ 11.625” while the women’s net height is 7’ 4.25”.
Among the male volleyball players, Wilfredo Leon is considered as the top earner. Leon started in the sport at a very young age, playing for his native Cuba’s team Capitalinos. At just 14, he began playing for the national team. He later defected and played for Zenit Kazan, a Russian Super League team. He led the team from one major win to another from 2015 until 2018. He now holds Polish citizenship. His estimated annual salary is $1.4 million.
The most successful coach in volleyball is Bernardo Rocha de Rezende of Brazil. Affectionately called Bernardinho, he has earned over 30 major volleyball titles in a colorful career spanning 20 years. He has coached both men’s and women’s Brazilian teams and has himself earned an Olympic silver as a player.
It was renamed to Volley Ball not long after it’s invention. The previous name was too confusing and not descriptive enough. In 1952, the word was compounded into the simple and well known “Volleyball.
A volleyball in the middle of the court
There is an ongoing debate about when the first volleyball was created. It was made by Spalding, but no one can pinpoint the exact year. Some circles declare that it was created in 1896 while others believe the volleyball was created in 1900.
Before the creation of the Volleyball, players used the soft inside bladder of basketballs to play.
American Karch Kiraly is the only person to win a Gold Medal Indoors (1984 & 1988) and as a Sand Player (1992).
Only the Cuba Women have won three consecutive indoors Gold Medals (1992, 1996, 2000).
On the sand, only Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Misty May-Treanor have won three consecutive Gold Medals as teammates. (2004, 2008. 2012).
In 1999, Rally Scoring became the method of tracking a score as opposed to the original format of only the serving team could score.
Interesting Tidbits About Volleyball
The set and spike concept first originated in the Philippines in 1916. The Filipinos referred to the kill/spike as a ‘bomba” and the hitter/spiker as a “bomberino”.
Volleyball was originally called Mintonette, because of its similarity to Badminton. It also has some elements of tennis and handball and even baseball because in the original set of rules there were 9 innings with three outs (serves).
The fastest volleyball serve made clocked at 83.3 mph courtesy of Ivan Zaytsev of Italy in a Volleyball National League game against Serbia. This record was set in May 2018. Zaytsev also holds the Olympic speed record for serving at 78.9 mph, sharing the distinction with Gyorgy Grozer and Christian Savani.
Among female players, the fastest serve made by far was performed by Serbia‘s Tijana Boskovic. Her serve clocked in at 62.75 mph (101 kph). This occurred during the women’s tournament at the Rio 2016 Games. Boskovic’s performance bested Brankica Mihajlovic’s 61.5 mph (99 kph) serve. Boskovic was 19 when she became the very first volleyball player to break the 100 kph ceiling in Olympic history. Later in the day, the record was matched by Italy’s Paola Egonu.
Beach volleyball is believed to have begun, unsurprisingly enough, on a beach in Waikiki, Hawaii. Players from the Outrigger Canoe Club put up a net on the beach and began a game of volleyball. However, the two-man team started in 1930 at the Athletic Club in Santa Monica. When other players failed to show up for a game, Paul Johnson, a member of the club, decided to play with just four players – two for each team. This setup became so popular that it is still being used today.
The first time volleyball was played in the Olympics was in 1964. The spectators in Tokyo witnessed a three-way competition fiercely fought by the men’s teams from Japan, Czechoslovakia, and the former USSR. Japan won bronze, Czechoslovakia placed second, and the USSR went home with the gold. In the women’s division, Poland garnered bronze, the USSR won silver, and the home team of Japan won their first-ever Olympic gold in the sport.
The first time colored volleyballs were allowed in tournaments was in 1998. This was to make it easier for spectators to see and follow the ball while watching the game on TV.
The youngest volleyball player to win an international title in beach volleyball is China’s Xue Chen. Xue was 17 years old when she won at the China Shanghai Jinshan Open with partner Zhang Xi. The pair beat fellow Chinese players with a 23-21 and 21-14 score in just 38 minutes. The talented Xue stands at a towering 6 feet 3 inches.
On August 13, 2005, American Charles Frederick Kiraly, known as Karch, set the record as the oldest volleyball player to secure an AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) tour title. Kiraly, along with his partner Mike Lambert, won at Huntington Beach in California. He was 44 years old at the time. Kiraly holds the distinction of being the only volleyball player to win Olympic gold medals for playing both beach and indoor volleyball games.
Karch Kiraly also set another record as one-half of the oldest volleyball team to snatch a win at the Huntington Beach Open in 2003. His combined age with his teammate (Brent Doble) was 76 years and 117 days. The pair defeated Sean Scott and Todd Rogers.
When the first beach volleyball game was broadcast live at the 1996 Olympics, more than 1 billion people watched. Twenty-four teams took part in the Olympic tournament. The games were won by Brazil (Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva) for the women’s division and by the U.S.A. (Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes) for the men’s division. The game was first introduced at the 1992 Summer Games but only as a demonstration event.
The tallest volleyball player in the world is Wuttichai Suksara of Thailand. He towers over even other very tall players at 7’3.5″ At 13, Suksara was already 6’6″ tall. He has gigantism and has received medical treatments for this condition. He had difficulty finding shoes his own size, prompting a Japanese company to make shoes especially for him. After graduating from college, Suksara later enlisted in the army.
The shortest male volleyball player is Farhad Zarif of Iran. He stands at 5’5″ tall. In 2006, Zarif became a member of the national team. He currently plays for Paykan Tehran. He was awarded Best Libero seven times from 2006 to 2013.
To win in a competitive adult match, a team must emerge victorious in best-of-five sets. To win a set, a team must reach 25 points. If a fifth set is played, the target score is only 15 points. However, to win a set, the team should have a two-point advantage over the opposing team.
For a volleyball game to be played effectively indoors, the gym or facility must have a minimum vertical ceiling height of 23 feet.
In the past, only the serving team could earn a point if the opposing team fails to return the ball. This changed in 1999 when the Rally Scoring method was imposed. Under this new method, either team can earn a point regardless of which team served.
A one-handed block is called a “kong”. This is in reference to King Kong who swatted at planes with one hand as he balanced himself on the Empire State Building.
This sport is a team sport. While you can have someone who is a more active player, they can’t do it all alone. You have to alternate hits between players to use up your three hits and to gain a bump, set, spike making communication key to winning. This helps develop teamwork skills and will teach you how to lead and follow other people’s directions while you are enjoying playing a game.
There is not a lot of long distance running in volleyball. This is a great aspect for individuals who do not like to run or who are unable to run across a field or court. Instead, while playing volleyball there are many instances where you will be moving quickly to get the ball or doing a short sprint. You will need to build up your endurance, since you won’t be standing still. You also need to be able to move fast and be able to react at the drop of a hat.
Unless you are playing beach volleyball, you will be inside, usually in a comfortable temperature. This allows games to be played no matter what the weather is, and you don’t have to worry about mud and dirt stains on your volleyball shorts, shoes, and shirt.
Basketballs were once used to play the game but their weight prevented players from keeping the ball in flight. The first volleyballs, which were made from a basketball bladder, proved to be too light and slow.
The first “official” volleyball was commissioned by A.G. Spalding & Sons for William Morgan. The company designed a ball that had three layers – the innermost layer was made of latex bladder, the next layer was made of cheesecloth, and the outermost was made of leather.
There are size and weight requirements for volleyballs. The circumference should be between 25-27 inches while the weight must be from 9-12 ounces. The ball has 18 slightly rectangular panels divided into six sections, with each section consisting of three panels. It may be made of genuine or synthetic leather.
The richest volleyball (female) player in the world is American Gabrielle Reece. Reece began playing in high school and attended university using her volleyball sports scholarship. Her good looks also turned her into a cover girl and model, gracing magazine covers such as Shape, Women’s Sports and Fitness, and Playboy. She has also turned to hosting and acting. Her net worth is estimated at $10 million.
The lowest score ever recorded in volleyball is 25-1. It was in a match won by Chinese Taipei against the Maldives team in 2004 when they faced each other at the Asian Jr. Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The most number of aces served is seven, made by Australia’s Samuel Walker. This record was made when he played in Poland against Brazil.
The player who scored the most number of points in a match is China’s Jiang Chuan. In a match against France, Jiang scored 37.
Russia holds the title of being the country with the most World Volleyball Championships. They currently have 6 golds.
By 1920, volleyball had spread to a worldwide played sport. At this time the three hit rule was implemented and back row spikes were also credited as allowed.
The first YMCA national championships happened in 1922. This was held in Brooklyn, NY and 27 teams from eleven states attended the event.
In 1928, the United States Volleyball Association was created. This was to help implement and keep the rules regulated for tournaments.
The first two man game of volleyball happened in 1930. Beach volleyball was being played before this date, but this is when Paul Johnson had the idea to make it a two man team.
The average volleyball players jumps about 300 times during a match. This is easy to do when you add in the jumping for blocking and spiking. More so, being equipped with the right volleyball shoes for jumping and hitting will aid you to become a great player
There is not just one setup in volleyball. You can position your players many different ways. You can do a basic rotation which means that everyone plays the position that they rotate into. If you are in the front middle position then you are the active setter until you rotate out. You can also designate one or two setters who will automatically run to the front middle position after the ball goes over the net. This play allows the person in that position to be a middle hitter.
In 1964, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, volleyball was introduced as competing sport. It had been previously demonstrated at the Paris Olympics in 1924, but was not considered a real event until Tokyo.
The Volleyball Hall of Fame was established where it all began in Holyoke, MA. Since 1971 it has over 100 honorees which cover a span of coaches, players, officials and various contributors.
The first professional beach volleyball tournament took place at Will Rogers State Beach at the end of the summer of 1976. This grand event was titled the Olympia World Championship of Beach Volleyball.
In 1999, Rally Scoring was implemented to help make the average length of each volleyball match more predictable, instead of the previous scoring system which could go multiple volley matches without anyone adding to the score. The Rally Scoring was also chosen to make volleyball games more crowd and television friendly. Giving viewers a point awarded through each exchange and drastically shortening the amount of time they would spend watching.
William G. Morgan invented the game of volleyball in 1895. He created it to be a balanced mix of basketball, baseball, handball and tennis. He was a YMCA Education Director in Holyoke Massachusetts.
Volleyball was originally called Mintonettte. This name was inspired by it being played on a square shaped court like badminton with a top quality racket. William wanted to create a sport older people could easily still play as basketball was geared more towards the younger crowd.
In the beginning, the rules were very simple and there were not many of them. There was also not the three hit rule technique of bump, set, spike that is very popular today. Instead a varied number of people would invade the court and once the serve was made, the main goal was to just keep the ball in the air until one side failed.
The first official volleyball game was played at Springfield College on July 7th, 1986.
The position with the tallest height requirement is the Middle Hitter/Blocker. It is the blocker’s job to stop all offensive attacks from the opposing team and they can perform this best at a position above the net. Tall players have this leverage.
The next position that will benefit best from having a tall player is the Setter. Tall setters can fake a move and then sneak a strong hit over the net to the opposing team’s side. Although the setter usually “sets” the ball for the hitter, having a height advantage definitely helps when it’s time to dig or block.
The highest-paid professional volleyball player in the world is China’s Zhu Ting. She played for VakifBank Istanbul in Turkey for which she earned $1.68 million annually. She returned to China to rejoin the national team and prepare for the 2020 Olympics.
Volleyball was invented by William George Morgan, an American educator. Morgan was an acquaintance of basketball inventor James Naismith and the
former was inspired by the new sport to invent his own. However, he wanted one that could be played indoors. Taking a badminton net and a soccer ball bladder, he created volleyball.
Volleyball had a dainty name: Mintonette. This is on account of the fact that it was similar to badminton (“minton” later turned to “mintonette). It was renamed “volleyball” by another educator, Alfred S. Halstead because the ball was volleyed back and forth. Halstead is credited for popularizing the sport.
Originally, volleyball was meant to be played indoors. It was also invented because Morgan wanted a game where players did not have to run. He wanted a game that was physical and required players to perform plenty of actions but does not require direct contact with opposing players.
The very first volleyball game was an exhibition played in 1896 at Massachusetts’ Springfield College, then known as the International YMCA Training.
Standard indoor volleyballs are slightly smaller than beach volleyballs. They also tend to have a smoother surface and higher internal pressure.
There are six positions in the volleyball court. These are: the Setter, the Outside Hitter, the Opposite Hitter, the Middle Hitter, the Libero, and the Defensive Specialist. To truly excel in the game, each player must master their skills at their positions.
In a six-man team, there is one player who has a different-looking jersey. This is the libero – the player who can move freely on the court and off. He/She can replace a hitter who may not be effective on defense in the back row. The libero is not allowed to hit the ball in the front area of the 10-foot line. They may hit the ball behind this line provided they do not clear the top line of the net.
The offensive styles we now know as “set” and “spike” were first introduced in the Philippines. The ball was hit high by one player and another player hits the ball sharply to land on the opponent’s court. The hit is usually strong, which makes it difficult to defend. The spike or kill was called “bomba” and the spiker was referred to as a “bomberino”.
The 3-hit rule which states that players in one team can only hit the ball three times was introduced in 1920. This helped increase the momentum of the game and improve its action. Since the hits are limited, players must handle the ball in the best ways possible so they can score.
The longest marathon volleyball match that made it the Guinness World Record occurred in January 2017. It was played by SVU Volleyball in Amstelveen, Netherlands, and lasted for 101 hours. It had 63 matches, 338 sets, and ended with a 14,635 score.
The very first beach volleyball professional tournament took place at the Will Rogers State Beach in 1976. It was named Olympia World Championship of Beach Volleyball.
A time limit for service is set at 8 seconds. This means that a player who will serve must do so within 8 seconds after the referee blows the whistle. If the server fails or is late, a point is given to the other team and the service turn is forfeited. If the server serves the ball prior to the whistle, he/she is allowed to serve again without penalties.
Volleyball games used to be played with a time limit of 8 minutes. Within this time, a team must have reached 15 points first or have a 20-point advantage.
The net standards are placed 3’ outside of the playing court.
The minimum ceiling height of an indoor volleyball facility is 23’ – preferably higher.
The first volleyballs were the bladders of basketballs until Spalding Company invented a separate volleyball in 1898.
During a match, players are known to vertically leap over 300 times.
The fastest serve was clocked at 132 kilometers an hour – 81.84 miles an hour.
Colorful terminology is no stranger to volleyball as evident by such terms as a pancake – when the palm is flat on the floor and the ball pops up and play continues; a kong – when a player gets a one-handed block: goofy - when a player jumps with wrong foot first (while attacking); and joust - when the ball is falling directly on top of the net, two opposing players jump and push against the ball, trying to force it on their opponent’s side.
On October 2, 2008, the people of Taichung County in Taiwan gathered in Yung Shin Sports Park to set the record of the most number of people controlling volleyballs. There were 299 people who successfully attempted the feat. The participants had to control the ball for a minimum of 10 seconds.
There is only one women’s team to win three consecutive gold medals at the Olympics and it is Cuba‘s national team. They won the medals in 1992, in 1996, and in 2000.
In beach volleyball, there is only one team to win gold medals for three consecutive times. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings won in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
The country that holds the most number of national championships is Puerto Rico. The record is held by the same team – the Changos de Naranjito, which is a member of the country’s Men’s National League. The record runs between 1958 and 2004.
The minimum height for volleyball players is 5 feet. The game requires high jumps at certain points of the game for certain positions, so height is considered an advantage. Different volleyball associations may have varying height standards, however. In many cases, the shortest player takes on the role of the libero or defensive specialist.
The first player to hit a salary of $1 million in professional volleyball is Randy Stoklos. He also earned MVP honors from AVP four times.
The FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) is the organization that governs all volleyball forms. They have chosen the top volleyball players of the century. For the male players, the honor goes to Karch Kiraly. For the female players, the title belongs to Regla Torres of Cuba. Torres has won three golds with Cuba’s national women’s team.
The country with the most number of inductees in the Volleyball Hall of Fame is the United States, with 62, followed by Brazil (15), and Russia (14).
Volleyball is ranked as the sixth most popular competitive sport in the world. However, according to the Olympic Program Commission, it is the most widely played. The sport has an estimated 900 million fans all over the world but it also has the most number of professional leagues.
The scoring system was changed from 21 points to 15 points to win the game. This was before rally scoring was implemented. Points could only be earned by the team who was currently serving. If a serve was missed or the other team won the ball, then no point was given.
Spiking was originated in 1916 during a tournament in the Philippines. They began setting the ball up higher for a Bomba (spike) to be initiated. They called the hitters Bomberinas .
Volleyball rapidly spread in popularity from the 1940s-1950s. This is due to World War II and the many soldiers that gathered together during this time. The YMCA proactively taught the sport to the soldiers that were in Germany as a way to help spread Christianity worldwide. The soldiers from Germany, Italy, and Japan learned the game and then took it home after the war and taught their friends and family.
Volleyball is a non contact sport. You and your competition are based on opposite sides of the net from each other. This helps reduce the hands on contact and the potential fighting risks that can happen when the game gets heated. It can also cut down on some injuries. The main contact that volleyball players will deal with are some on the court collisions from their own teammates who are watching the ball and not the people around them.
There are many health benefits you can gain from playing volleyball. The exercise aspect from it alone is great for your body weight, your muscle tone and will help work your heart to make it stronger.
If you are stressed out, volleyball is a great game for you to turn to. With the combination of the quick reactive movements, hands on hard hitting of the ball and the constant sprints around the court, you are able to burn a lot of energy and stress.
Volleyball is a great game for you to be able to meet new friends and form relationships. Whether you are trying out for a school team or going to a local pick up game in your city, it is a social sport that breaks the ice for you. In the game of volleyball you have to talk to one another on the court to state if you are going to hit the ball, call for a play or ask for help hitting the ball. Volleyball isn’t a sport for quiet people, you are relied on to talk and to be talked to.
The longest volleyball game on record is one that was played in Kingston, North Carolina. The game went on for 75 hours and 30 minutes. This game was played with the old volleyball scoring method, which meant that only a point was awarded when the serving team scored.
During a higher level volleyball game, the ball can potentially reach up to 87 MPH. This will primarily happen during a spike since the player is able to gain more momentum while they are moving into the spike and then projecting that power down into the ball as they are jumping. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible if the opposing team were able to block the ball.
Volleyball is the second most popular sport, second only to soccer. This is due to the fact that volleyball is open to be played from middle school, high school, college, professional, and Olympic levels. Volleyball is also extremely popular as a worldwide sport. Many countries across the globe enjoy playing competitively and for fun.
In 1928 USA Volleyball was founded when the first national championship was staged.

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