BLOG #2: What really is volleyball and how did it start?

On my search on Wikipedia, volleyball is a game of strategy. It was combined with two sports, tennis and handball, and created the sport mintonette. This sport was discovered on February 9, 1895 by William G. Morgan, a YMCA P.E. director. He grabbed the concept of both handball and tennis to form mintonette. There are two teams on a court that is divided by a net and has smaller boundaries than a basketball court. There are only a certain amount of players allowed on the court. Players had no limit in attempting to hit the ball to the opponent's side of the court. During the game, there is a total of 9 innings and each team was allowed 3 serve attempts during each of these innings. If they mess up during the 1st serve, they were able to get a 2nd serve. Also, if they hit the net, it was considered a foul -unless, it was a serve, they were allowed to get a 2nd serve. During the first exhibition match in 1896, Alfred Halstead managed to attend the first game of mintonette. Halstead noticed the attributes of the sport and from then on, the sport of "volley ball," later formed into volleyball, was made.

Volleyball is a very basic game, but full of movement. Everyone has a specific part that they have on the team. You have 6 players on court, 2 referees (one on top and one on the floor), and 2 linesmen. The linesmen make notify you whether the ball is in or out of bounds and if the server makes a mistake during their serve. The referees are there to make sure that there are fair plays and the middle line has not been passed under the net by either team. Players are allowed to pass the lines out of bounds to get fetch for the ball while still in play. If the ball passes the line out of bounds, it is considered out. If it touches the line, it is still considered in. When dealing with the court, it is slightly smaller than a basketball court. The court is 59 feet long and 29.5 feet wide. The net is 7 feet and 11 5/8 inches tall and 40 inches wide. The front row consists of blockers, 2 outside hitters, and 1 setter. The left front is a outside hitter/blocker, the middle front is a setter/blocker, and the right front is the opposite hitter/blocker. The back row consists of back covers/liberos. Liberos cover the entire back row to make sure that hits/balls that stay within lines get fetched for. The main libero is middle back, they cover the entire base line. The game is then started with a coin toss and whoever wins, get to choose whether they get to serve or receive.

Sources:

- Oden, Beverly. Volleyball Experience - Outside Hitter. What Is Expected of a Outside Hitter, n.p. 26 March 2013.

- Oden, Beverly. Volleyball Experience - Libero. All About the Volleyball Libero, n.p. 26 March 2013.

- Wikipedia Search: Volleyball