How volleyball was served into creation

What once was just an idea is now known worldwide, including at the River.

Lucy Milner

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Volleyball has been around for 122 years. Since then, it has been tweaked and changed many times and has slowly grown into the sport that people recognize and love today.

According to Athnet, the game of volleyball, originally called “mintonette,” was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan. “Mintonette” was an indoor sport meant to be gentler than basketball and incorporate some of the characteristics of tennis, badminton and handball. The net, originally a standard tennis net, stood at 6’6’’ and an unlimited number of players could be on each side of the court at any given time. Over time, the rule changed to where only six people could be on one side at a time.

Morgan needed a ball that was specifically designed for his new sport. It needed to be light enough to stay in the air but not too light to the point where it could get easily carried away with the wind or slow down the game. Volleyball soon spread rapidly all over the world. In 1916, the net height was raised to seven 7’11”, and the ball was made heavier. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teamed up to promote the sport, and as a result, volleyball was integrated into physical education programs at high schools and colleges. The United States Volleyball Association (USVBA) was formed in 1928 and helped standardize the rules of the sport in order to make the game competitive enough for tournament play.

In 1949, the first world championships were played in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Then, in 1957, the International Olympic Committee made volleyball an olympic sport, signifying the worldwide growth of the sport. The sport also spread more widely to high schools, middle schools and colleges for students to play.

“I have developed into a more confident and better player because of my coaches and how they taught me,” senior volleyball player Brianna Sweitzer said.

The River's volleyball program started with a junior varsity/freshman-only team. In its second year, players started competing at a varsity level.

“In 2011, I took over the program,” head volleyball coach Matthew McElhiney said. “I was the first coach to be able to add a freshman, JV, and varsity team at Braden River in 2015. The county did not fund freshman teams, so we ended up raising money to pay for an additional coach and cost involved with the team.”

In 2017, the River was one of the first programs in the state and the first public school in Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough or Pinellas counties to add a high school beach volleyball program. In the first two seasons of beach volleyball, the River finished third in the state.

“My favorite part is how the team works together to make a play happen in a game,” sophomore volleyball player Kaylyn Shippey said.