A team net sport where two sides volley a ball over a high net, allowing three touches before returning it.
Origin and rules
William G. Morgan invented volleyball in 1895 at a YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, as a gentler alternative to basketball. Two teams of six are separated by a net and try to ground the ball on the opposing side of the court.
How it plays
Each team can touch the ball up to three times before it must cross the net, typically a bump, set, and spike. Sets are played to 25 points, won by two; matches are best of five sets.
Competition
The FIVB Volleyball World Championship and the Volleyball Nations League lead international competition. Italy, Brazil, Poland, and the United States are powerhouses. Volleyball joined the Olympics in 1964 in Tokyo.
Find more sports by letter
Volleyball starts with V and ends with L. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Volleyball":