The inflated rubber or leather volleyball, about 27 in. Players bat the ball across the top of the net into any part of the opponents' court. A maximum of three hits per team is permitted in returning the ball to the opponents' court. Teams must return the ball without allowing it to touch the ground. Spiking is the game's most dramatic offensive maneuver, occurring when a player drives the ball forcefully downward into the opponents' court with an open hand at speeds of about 100 mph.
Defenses attempt to block spikes at the net.
The team scoring 15 points first wins the game, though the margin of victory must be at least two. Mass. Since 1928 the game's governing body in the United States has been the U.S. Volleyball Association. Since 1964 volleyball has been included in the Olympic games. Soviet and Japanese teams dominated competition there until the United States emerged as a power in the 1980s. Teams from California typically dominate U.S. intercollegiate play.