professional Volleyball was first played in 1895 and since then it has become one of the most popular sports in the world today. It’s played across different continents; from the US where it originated to Southern America, Europe, Asia and Australia. While Americans have had an upper hand in the sport for long, the team from erstwhile USSR won the first Olympic gold when the sport was introduced at the global event as a medal sport in 1964. Teams from Brazil, Cuba, Japan and China also vie for the top honors in this hugely exciting sport.

One reason for the immense popularity of professional Volleyball is the fact that it’s incredibly fast paced and gives you edge of the seat excitement every minute. Two teams of six compete on the court at any given time and the objective is to make the ball bounce in the opponent’s court. It involves several techniques like spiking and blocking, which are usually a part of close-to-the-net action, which is often thrilling to say the least. The governing bodies of Professional Volleyball in a bid to speed up the proceedings on court have made several rule changes to make it more exciting for television viewers and also the audience in stadiums, that usually shows up in large numbers for major events.

Besides the Olympics, World Champions and other major International tournaments, many countries all over the world have their own Professional Volleyball leagues that are widely followed. These leagues have truly taken the sport to the masses and International stars that you only see on television playing for another country at the Olympics are now accessible to you as they could well be playing for your local club team. Such leagues have only been healthy for the sport and have also brought in huge amounts of money into it.

Of course, professional Volleyball has some way to go before catching up with the traditional powerhouses like Basketball and Baseball but it’s definitely moving in the right direction. An increasing number of youngsters are taking to the sport and school and university teams are the perfect platform for young talent to make their way up to the big league. If you have the skills and believe you can thrive in a team sport, Professional Volleyball is perfect for you. It helps you work on your physical fitness, mental acumen and team spirit; that says a lot about this hugely popular sport.