Volleyball in the United States
| First played | 1895, Holyoke, Massachusetts (USA) |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | No Contact |
| Team members | 12, with 6 on the court at any given time. |
| Mixed gender | Single |
| Type | Volleyball in the United States |
| Equipment | Volleyball |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | 1964 |
Volleyball in the United States is popular with both male and female participants of all ages. Almost all high schools and colleges in the United States have female volleyball teams, and most regions of the country have developmental programs for girls of all ages as well. While many areas of the country are forming male teams and development programs, there are still fewer opportunities for young male athletes to play volleyball in the United States than for young females.
The United States men's national volleyball team has won three gold medals at the 1984, 1988, and 2008 Olympic Games, the 1986 FIVB World Championship, the 1985 and 2015 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup, and the 2014 FIVB World League.
Meanwhile, the United States women's national volleyball team has won the 2014 FIVB World Championship and six editions of the FIVB World Grand Prix. Also, they finished second at the 1984, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, the 1967 and 2002 FIVB World Championship, the 2005 and 2013 FIVB World Grand Champions, and the 2011 FIVB World Cup
As a professional sport, volleyball has had limited success in the United States. Numerous attempts have been made to start professional indoor women's volleyball leagues. In 1987, the latest attempt went bankrupt due to lack of fan interest and hence advertiser interest. Two-man and two-woman professional beach volleyball leagues have done better, most notably the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), but none have gained a wide following that would get them consistent coverage by the major television networks. In 2002, United States Professional Volleyball League was begun as a women's professional indoor league, but only lasted one season. In 2004 and again in 2005, NBC aired the Nissan Championship series, with Fox Sports carrying the majority of the season.
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