Girls Volleyball History

Invented in 1895 in Holyoke, Mass., by William G. Morgan, volleyball was first created to help keep middle-aged men in shape. The sport is now one of the most popular sports among girls and women, as athletes participate in state tournaments, NCAA Division I national championship tournaments and even the Summer Olympics. According to athleticscholarships.net, more than 46 million people play volleyball in the U.S.

  1. Early roots

    • The sport first began to spread in the U.S. when both high schools and colleges adopted it for their programs. Volleyball became the fall sport of choice for girls, according to sportsknowhow.com. In 1907 volleyball was presented at the Playground of America convention as one of the country's most popular sports, according to strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com. In 1928, the precursor to USA Volleyball, the United States Volleyball Association, was formed.

    Going worldwide

    • The sport was already being played around the world after World War II, thanks to U.S. missionaries who took the game to places like China and Europe, according to sportsknowhow.com. The first U.S. women's volleyball national championship was played in 1949, 54 years after women began competing in the game. The first World championships for women came in 1952 in Moscow, Russia. Women's volleyball joined the Olympic stage in 1964, the same year the men's game joined the Olympic schedule.

    Dedicated training

    • In 1975, the U.S. Women's National Team began a year-round training regimen as a feeder program for its national and Olympic teams, according to athleticscholarships.net. For the first time, young girls have the opportunity to train year-round with the best volleyball players in the nation. This occurred two years before the men started their own program.

    Hitting campus

    • It took the NCAA more than 30 years to catch on to the popularity of girls volleyball. In 1981 the governing body for college sports fielded its first national championship tournament, won by the University of Southern California, according to NCAA.com. The sport's appearance gave girls the opportunity to acquire scholarships so they could continue to play as they earned an education.

    On the beach

    • According to sportsknowhow.com, beach volleyball began catching on in the 1940s in California but didn't become organized until the 1960s. In 1986, the formation of a women's beach volleyball association gave college players a professional outlet for their talent. The first women's world championships for beach volleyball were held in 1993, and they were added as a demonstration sport in the Olympics in 1996.