Volleyball Tickets

Volleyball was born in Massachusetts in 1895. A YMCA physical education director by the name of William G. Morgan combined elements of tennis, handball and basketball to create a new game capable of being played indoors and by teams of any size. As the game began to spread to other YMCA clubs and beyond, it lost its initial name, mintonette, and instead became known by the name we recognize today. Over time, the form of the game became standardized through such changes as the introduction of the serve and spike and the adoption of the "three hits" rule. Volleyball also spawned an outdoor variation, beach volleyball, which differed from the original in certain ways, such as the limitation of two players per team. Volleyball was officially included in the Olympics for the first time in 1964. Beach volleyball was also included beginning in 1996.

No professional indoor volleyball leagues have existed in the United States since the 1980s, although professional beach volleyball has had some success. The game has had more popularity at the high school and college levels. The NCAA volleyball oversees intercollegiate volleyball competitions in the United States, with separate leagues for male and female players. In college volleyball, as in high school, men's teams compete in the spring and women's in the fall. At both college and high school levels, women's volleyball tends to attract more attention than men's. There are currently over 300 teams in NCAA Division I women's volleyball, more than exist for all three divisions of men's volleyball. However, men's volleyball enjoys considerable popularity in some areas.

As an Olympic sport, volleyball is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), headquartered in Switzerland. In years during which the Summer Olympics do not occur, the FIVB organizes various other tournaments culminating with international games.