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Sports: Volleyball

[ Background | Equipment | Where ]

Background

Volleyball is a sport for kids and adults of varying skill levels. About 2.5 million people pay volleyball recreationally or competitively in Canada.

Volleyball is played by two teams of six, on a "court" with a high net in the middle. The goal is to hit a ball over the net, so your opponents cannot hit it back, to earn a point. Fifteen points wins a game, and matches are typically best-of-three or best-of-five. The game is played using three key skills: "Bump", "Set" and "Spike".

Beach volleyball is played with between two and six players per side on a sand court. Fewer the players requires a higher skill level and greater teamwork. 10 million people playing in competitive beach volleyball leagues each summer.

Equipment

There is not much equipment required for volleyball: your basic athletic shorts, shirt, and a non-marking court shoe with good support and spring.

Where

The three main volleyball sites for participating in volleyball are: Talisman Centre (233-2715), Volleydome (284-3663), The University of Calgary (220-7749). The Alberta Volleyball Association (220-2853), Calgary Beach Volleyball Association (403.691.7666) and Calgary Sport & Social Club (244-7529) also offer players a wide variety of competitive experiences. Beach volleyball can be played indoors year-round at the Volleydome (by the University of Calgary). It has three indoor sand courts.

You can watch the University of Calgary Dinosaur volleyball teams play in the 2,200-seat Jack Simpson Gymnasium on campus. The mens' and women's teams play other Canadian universities from across Canada. The U of C's volleyball teams ave won several recent Canadian championships.