Volleyball

Volleyball was originally called “mintonette” and is the second most popular sport in the world today, exceeded only by soccer.  Volleyball can be played on the beach or inside.  Volleyball is also a successful Olympic sport.  Today there are more than 800 million volleyball players worldwide and 46 million of them are in the United States .

History   In1895 William G Morgan, an instructor at the YMCA decided to blend together elements of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball. He didn’t want it to be as aggressive as Basketball. That is when he created the game of volleyball.

How to Play:

 Basic terms:

 ACE: An ace is a serve that is not passable and results a point

 Approach: An approach is a fast run toward the net by a spiker before she jumps in the air.

 Attack: an attack is the offensive action of hitting the ball

 Bump: a hit with your forearms

 Bump pass: is when you put your forearms together to pass or to set the ball.

How to pass: When passing. You try to get the ball to the setter. You pass the ball with your forearms. To bump or pass the ball you put your forearms and hands together. After you put your hands together let the ball hit your arms then come up with your knees to give the ball a little force.

How to Set: When setting the ball you have to get behind it. Put your hands in a triangle above your head. Hit the ball with your fingertips. When you go to set you cannot hit the ball with your palms. The setter basically calls the play.

How to Spike: The spiker is usually the tallest player. You have to be able to jump high to be the spiker. When the ball starts falling down you should start doing your approach. You jump up not foreword.

How to Dig:  Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching the court after a spike.  You dig the ball when it is close to hitting the court.

Positions: Volleyball positions in a team are made up of three people in the front row and three people in the back row.  The players in the front row are attackers, blockers, and setters.  The players in the back row are diggers and one server.

Rules:   Volleyball is an Olympic sport.  There are six players on the court separated by a net.  You can only hit the ball three times before hitting the ball over the net.  You have to hit the ball over the net to get a point.  The first team to reach twenty-one points wins.  Your foot cannot cross over the serving line on a serve.

Defense:  When the other team has the ball your team is on defense.  Defensive players are also called diggers.

Techniques:  The server must stand behind the line because if you step over the line, the ref will call you for a foot fault.  When the ball lands on the court or travels outside of the court after being touched by an opponent it is known as an ACE.  If you set the ball you can’t touch it with your palm, you can only touch it with your fingertips.

Famous People:    

Misty May is a professional beach volleyball player who won gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games.  She has won more tournaments than any other female with 103 career wins.  In high school she helped her team win two state championships and was named the NCAA player of the year.

Kerri Walsh was Misty Mays partner in the Olympics.  In high school and college she actually played against Misty May in inside volleyball.  She attended college at Stanford and was named four years as a first team All American in volleyball.

Volleyball is a sport that demands teamwork.  Each player must be alert and ready when the ball is in their zone.  Although Volleyball is a very competitive sport, it is also a lot of fun and very easy to learn.