I'm talking about the six-player indoor game as opposed to beach. I can see why the latter gets the publicity but the former is so superior in terms of the rallies and excitement. Perhaps it's because GB doesn't feature much internationally (apart from 2012 when we were guaranteed teams as hosts) that we don't see it given much publicity in the UK but it feels people are missing out. Give it a watch.
Volleyball... most underrated Olympic sport?
- Thread starter nightowl
- Start date
JimW
支那暗杀团
Massive here in China, no doubt because the women especially are pretty good at it; beat the US in a pool match which doesn't happen to the latter often. Agree it's a great sport.
WouldBe
Dislicksick
JimW
支那暗杀团
Get hip with the lingo, daddio, that's a group game in old money. If it was in a swimming pool they'd fail the drugs tests.When did they start playing in swimming pools.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I'd been really looking forward to seeing this live last week, and it didn't disappoint (aside from it being a slightly one-sided game, and the team I was nominally supporting being on the wrong side of it 
).
The venue was LOUD, including one Brazilian behind us who might be the single loudest person I've ever been in the presence of (and I say that as someone who is often told they're too loud
).
Keen to develop a bit more understanding of the tactics and rhythms of the game, but was great to watch, with some very exciting rallies full of "how did they get that??!" moments.
It occurred to me while watching that one interesting aspect is that being allowed three touches of the ball can allow for more attacking gameplay. Unlike tennis, where successfully defending a particularly hard shot often means simply managing to get it back over the net, in volleyball if you do manage to successfully dig out a shot, you then still have more of a chance to set up your own attack.
).The venue was LOUD, including one Brazilian behind us who might be the single loudest person I've ever been in the presence of (and I say that as someone who is often told they're too loud
).Keen to develop a bit more understanding of the tactics and rhythms of the game, but was great to watch, with some very exciting rallies full of "how did they get that??!" moments.
It occurred to me while watching that one interesting aspect is that being allowed three touches of the ball can allow for more attacking gameplay. Unlike tennis, where successfully defending a particularly hard shot often means simply managing to get it back over the net, in volleyball if you do manage to successfully dig out a shot, you then still have more of a chance to set up your own attack.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Good match currently playing out between Italy and Japan men.
Italy saved something like 3-4 match points to take the third set, now up by two in the fourth.
Make that three!
Italy saved something like 3-4 match points to take the third set, now up by two in the fourth.
Make that three!
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
It's one of those sports which is great to play and to watch. I would love to have played more volleyball 40 years ago. As it turned out we were supposed to be grateful for our comprehensive giving us about, ooh, 3 chances as opposed to the gazillion football and rugby matches we were supposed to be enthused about. (I loved football too, but not for the school - long tale about sadistic cunt of PE teacher a lot of kids in my year - not just those that hated PE - walked away from, quite literally.)
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
It was only a few years ago that I suddenly remembered I'd ever played volleyball, pretty sure for at least a whole term, if not multiple!
But yeah, as discussed elsewhere, access to all these sports is so vital. Not just for anyone who might be 'successful', but purely so people can find whatever it is they'll enjoy.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Fuck me, and just as I type that, Italy saved yet another match point before winning the next two points to take their own. Back from 0-2 sets down to win 3-2!
Gutted for Japan, though. I'm a fan of the place/people generally, but from what I could tell this volleyball team are quite fancied and good fun to watch.
Gutted for Japan, though. I'm a fan of the place/people generally, but from what I could tell this volleyball team are quite fancied and good fun to watch.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Another dramatic, back and forth match going right to the wire in the men's semi between Poland and USA.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Another ding-dong ol' game between Brazil and USA in the women's SF.
Volleyball is great
Volleyball is great
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Men's final, France v Poland, about to get started. On Eurosport 9, if y'got it.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Italy beat USA quite comfortably, 3-0, in the women's gold medal match.
"I don't think the USA even had a chance to play badly today", was the commentator's summary of how dominant Italy were.
I may have misheard, but I think he also said Italy had never even made it to a SF before this Games!
"I don't think the USA even had a chance to play badly today", was the commentator's summary of how dominant Italy were.
I may have misheard, but I think he also said Italy had never even made it to a SF before this Games!
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
A very low bar there.
dessiato
🇪🇸 my spirit is crying for leaving
Years ago I played until I fell and damaged my shoulder. But I love watching it.
ouirdeaux
Caring, Understanding, Non-judgemental Type
I have seen many things on the internet, but nothing has shocked me more than this thread. We had to play volleyball at school, and it was the dullest thing ever. The only thing I could conceive of that would be worse was having to watch it. I can just about see why people would care about rugby, football, cricket and golf (in increasing order of dreariness), but fucking volleyball? Have I entered an alternate universe?
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Fucking golf??! Fuck off!
I mean, each to their own, but I'm surprised you find it dull, of all things. What do you think it's missing that all those other sports do have, in terms of keeping your interest, at least?
ouirdeaux
Caring, Understanding, Non-judgemental Type
I wouldn't say that I had an active interest in the other sports. It's more a question of which I would choose if someone put a gun to my head and offered me the choice of watching one or having my brains blown out.
Maybe it's just the hatred I developed from being forced to play it. But people do more interesting things in other sports. Volleyball is just people trying to get a ball over a net. OK, so is tennis, and I can almost enjoy a bit of tennis around Wimbledon, being transported back to my university days, when it was a way of winding down after exams. But somehow it's different when it's one on one. I don't watch tennis doubles in the same way, and with volleyball there are far too many people.
Maybe it's just the hatred I developed from being forced to play it. But people do more interesting things in other sports. Volleyball is just people trying to get a ball over a net. OK, so is tennis, and I can almost enjoy a bit of tennis around Wimbledon, being transported back to my university days, when it was a way of winding down after exams. But somehow it's different when it's one on one. I don't watch tennis doubles in the same way, and with volleyball there are far too many people.
