Volleyball was created in 1895 in Holyoke Massachusetts by William G Morgan.   It is a combination of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball.  William G. Morgan invented volleyball because a lot of business men could not play basketball and volleyball was less strenuous on their bodies.  The ball they used was a bladder of a basketball which is soft and light so when they volleyed the  ball it would not hurt their arms.  At first this game was called mintonette.  The basic rule of this game was to not let the ball hit the ground.  If it did a point was awarded to the opposition.  Back then there were nine players on a team, now there are only six.  In 1896 at a YMCA conference the council changed the name to volleyball because you always volley the ball over the net.  The council also changed the size of the court and slightly changed the type of ball to a lighter ball.  In 1918 American soldiers spread the game to Western Europe during WW1.  Since then it has spread around the world.  In 1947 the International Volleyball Confederation was formed.  To this day it still is this sports governing body.  The first World Championships were in 1949 for men, and in 1952 for women.  Since 1962 these championships have been held every four years.  In 1964 it was put into the Tokyo Olympics.  In 1996 Netherlands won the gold, while in 1992 Brazil won the gold.  The womens volleyball competitions in the Olympics have been dominated by Cuba which has won almost every gold medal since volleyball was introduced into the Olympics.   By  1996 volleyball was introduced into the Summer Olympics.  Now it is one of the most popular games in the United States.   

      This is a picture of Williiam G. Morgan and his volleyball team in 1895.