William G. Morgan creates a game called Mintonette, which soon becomes volleyball.

William G. Morgan, the gym class director of YMCA, thought that basketball was too strenuous a sport for himself and other middle-aged gym class members. He decided to create a sport that combined badminton and some aspects of basketball and named it “Mintonette.”

On this day, February 9th, in 1895 Morgan demonstrated his new game, “Mintonette,” to faculty and members of the YMCA. The spectators suggested the name volleyball because the match involved much “volleying.” The game initially had no set rules and was played for nine endings with any number of players.

Today in the United States, the best male or female collegiate volleyball players are prized with the Morgan Trophy Award.