Volleyball was created by William G. Morgan in 1895 at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Quick Scoop

  • William G. Morgan was a physical director at the YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA.
  • He originally called the new game “Mintonette” before it became known as volleyball.
  • Morgan designed it as a less vigorous indoor alternative to basketball for adult businessmen.

A Bit of Story

In 1895, Morgan combined elements of basketball, tennis, handball, and baseball to create a new indoor game that used a net and a ball but involved less body contact than basketball. During an early demonstration, an observer noted how players kept “volleying” the ball back and forth over the net, and the name “volleyball” soon replaced “Mintonette.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.