History
Volleyball was created in 1895 by William Morgan, who developed the sport by blending elements of basketball, baseball, tennis and handball. Morgan originally named the game 'mintonette' but later changed it to reflect the action of the ball being volleyed over the net.
Through the reach of the international YMCA network, volleyball quickly spread all over the world, with Japan playing the game by 1896, followed closely by other Asian countries and regions.
Canada took up volleyball in 1900, Cuba followed in 1906, Japan 1908, China in 1911, and US troops took the sport to Europe during WWI.
A specially designed ball came into play in 1900 and six-a-side games became standard from 1918. Beach volleyball started on beaches in Santa Monica, California, in the 1920s.
The first Volleyball Federation was founded in Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria in 1922. A meeting in Paris led to the formation of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (International Volleyball Federation) in 1947.
The history of Olympic volleyball can be traced back to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where volleyball was played as part of an American sports demonstration event.[3] After the foundation of FIVB and some continental confederations, it began to be considered for official inclusion. In 1957, a special tournament was held at the 53rd IOC session in Sofia, Bulgaria to support such request. The competition was a success, and the sport was officially included in the program for the 1964 Summer Olympics.
