What was the game of volleyball originally called?

Invented only four years after basketball, volleyball was originally called “mintonette". The original game was much like Badminton so "minton" to "Mintonette" became the name given by the inventor William G. Morgan in 1895.

Morgan, a graduate of the Springfield College of the YMCA, designed the game to be a combination of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball.

The court was originally 25 by 50 feet and the height of the net was set at 6'6". After all, the average height of an American in the nineteenth century was much shorter than the current height today.

The setting and spiking style of the game was first demonstrated in the Philippines in the year 1916. As years went by, a standard of rules was developed for tournament play. Thus, the USVBA (United States Volleyball Association) was formed in 1928. After the creation of the new rules and guidelines volleyball became the sport recognized as we see it today.