11 Reasons To Be Proud Of America's Volleyball Legacy

Volleyball players and fans in the USA have a lot to be proud of. On this Fourth of July, celebrate these accomplishment of American volleyball players and teams.

Jul 4, 2017 by Megan Kaplon

11 Reasons To Be Proud Of America's Volleyball Legacy

American volleyball players and fans have a lot to be proud of this Fourth of July. On the USA's 241 anniversary of independence, celebrate these incredible benchmarks and achievements in one of the best sports in the world.

1. Volleyball was invented in Holyoke, Massachusetts, by William G. Morgan in 1895.

2. Whether you believe the sport got its start in Hawaii or Southern California, the U.S. can also claim responsibility for the invention of beach volleyball.

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3. The first Olympics to feature beach volleyball, Atlanta 1996, was held on U.S. soil.

Atlanta 1996 Olympics Karch Kiraly Kent Steffes Beach volleyball

FIVB

4. We have more beach volleyball Olympic gold medals than any other nation.

1996: Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes
2000: Dain Blanton/Eric Fonoimoana
2004: Kerri Walsh Jennings/Misty May-Treanor
2008: Kerri Walsh Jennings/Misty May-Treanor
2008: Todd Rogers/Phil Dalhausser
2012: Kerri Walsh Jennings/Misty May-Treanor

Kerri Walsh Jennings Misty May-Treanor London 2012 Olympics beach volleyball

USA Today Sports

5. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the U.S. won three medals in volleyball.

Jordan Larson, Foluke Akinradewo, Kim Hill USA Volleyball Rio Olympics

USA Today Sports

6. American Kerri Walsh Jennings is the winningest beach volleyball player of all time, with 133 titles and $2,553,135 in career winnings.

Kerri Walsh Jennings London Olympics 2012

USA Today Sports

7. American Karch Kiraly is the only athlete to have won Olympic gold medals in indoor and beach volleyball, and after coaching the U.S. women's national team to a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, he became only the fourth person to ever win Olympic medals as a player and coach.

USA Today Sports

8. We have fans like this.

9. The U.S. men's national team has three Olympic gold medals, tied with Brazil and Russia for the most all-time.

USA men's volleyball Beijing 2008 Olympics gold medal

USA Today Sports

10. 1,074 colleges in the NCAA sponsor women's indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball is the fastest-growing college sport, with 65 NCAA schools sponsoring a program.

Micaya White Texas Volleyball Stanford NCAA volleyball 2016

USA Today Sports

11. Volleyball is second only to outdoor track and field as the most popular high school sport for girls in the U.S. with 432,176 female athletes participating.

USA Today Sports

Eastern vs Elizabethtown

P.R.-Rio Piedras vs Juniata

Grove City vs Juniata

St. Vincent College vs P.R.-Rio Piedras

Stevenson vs St. Vincent College

St. Vincent College vs Juniata

Grove City vs P.R.-Rio Piedras

Stevenson vs Juniata

Quincy vs Tusculum

Stevenson vs Elizabethtown

Erskine vs Lincoln Memorial

Widener vs Drew

St. Vincent College vs Elizabethtown

Wilson vs St. Vincent College

Quincy vs Lincoln Memorial

11 Reasons To Be Proud Of America's Volleyball Legacy

11 Reasons To Be Proud Of America's Volleyball Legacy

Volleyball players and fans in the USA have a lot to be proud of. On this Fourth of July, celebrate these accomplishment of American volleyball players and teams.

1. Volleyball was invented in Holyoke, Massachusetts, by William G. Morgan in 1895.

2. Whether you believe the sport got its start in Hawaii or Southern California, the U.S. can also claim responsibility for the invention of beach volleyball.

3. The first Olympics to feature beach volleyball, Atlanta 1996, was held on U.S. soil.

4. We have more beach volleyball Olympic gold medals than any other nation.

5. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the U.S. won three medals in volleyball.

6. American Kerri Walsh Jennings is the winningest beach volleyball player of all time, with 133 titles and $2,553,135 in career winnings.

7. American Karch Kiraly is the only athlete to have won Olympic gold medals in indoor and beach volleyball, and after coaching the U.S. women's national team to a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, he became only the fourth person to ever win Olympic medals as a player and coach.

8. We have fans like this.

9. The U.S. men's national team has three Olympic gold medals, tied with Brazil and Russia for the most all-time.

10. 1,074 colleges in the NCAA sponsor women's indoor volleyball, and beach volleyball is the fastest-growing college sport, with 65 NCAA schools sponsoring a program.

11. Volleyball is second only to outdoor track and field as the most popular high school sport for girls in the U.S. with 432,176 female athletes participating.