For many years, sports in the US were dominated by the big four—football, hockey, basketball, and baseball. Although there were plenty of other sports being played around the country, they struggled to get the attention they deserved. Volleyball is a good example of this and at one time, did not have enough clout to be heard over the traditionally popular US sports.
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This has all changed in modern times though, and rapid growth has been seen in US volleyball. To put it simply, volleyball is on fire around the country now, and interest in it has never been higher. The 2022/23 season, for example, saw a big growth in USA Volleyball membership across all age groups. It is also one of the fastest-growing sports around the US education system and remains a popular team event played in colleges/schools around the states.
All of this has now left volleyball as one of the most talked about and visible sports in America. But just how has US volleyball been able to grow like this over the years?
Growth powered by sports betting
One factor that is certainly important in how US volleyball has grown lately is the extra exposure sports betting has given it. As volleyball is carried by all top betting sites now, more people have begun to notice it and get into it. Although this may have initially been purely to bet on games, many of these punters have turned into proper fans over time, spurring further growth.
If you fancy betting on volleyball games in the US, choosing a sportsbook with the best features is crucial. The most popular sports betting features to look out for include live betting, live streaming, and the ability to build bets. Top platforms that offer features like this include VegasLand Sportsbook and ZetBet Sportsbook.
Increased popularity around the US
Although sports betting might be one way for US volleyball to attract a whole new audience, its growth has also been spurred by connecting sports fans across the country. This has seen more people taking an interest in it and more fans attending games in recent years.
Volleyball Day in Nebraska, for example, saw just over 92,000 spectators fill the Memorial Stadium to watch the Cornhuskers volleyball take on Omaha. This was a world record attendance for a woman’s sporting event and also showed just how many people now follow the sport. Due to this, volleyball has been able to grow and become one of the top US sports for people to support.
More media coverage
Media coverage is huge for any sport and can really help it to connect with fans and enjoy a much higher profile in the mainstream of society. This is easy to see when you think how the reams of media attention football gets helps it to remain so popular.
Although volleyball might not have enjoyed the highest levels of media attention in the past, this has started to change somewhat lately. Due to this, it has a much higher public profile and a much more positive reputation as a serious sport. This has helped to attract people to volleyball in the US, who have started to either play or follow it.
From more volleyball match reports in the mainstream press to podcasts, websites, and news platforms that all now cover the sport, this is easy to see. If the US media can begin to give volleyball as much attention as volleyball in Brazil gets from the press, it would be a real step forward.
US TV has started to get in on the act, with ESPN putting on multiple regular-season college matches for eager audiences. Anyone who has watched the Paris 2024 Olympics will have noticed that volleyball has received a good amount of coverage by the US media too. All of this helps to make it more visible and more able to attract extra fans to grow with.
Greater investment into US volleyball
Sports are able to drive growth in many ways, but seeking investment to progress with is often one of the most effective. This has proved to be the case for volleyball in the USA over the years as more investment has allowed it to become much bigger.
2021 saw a professional volleyball league launched in the country, which has proved to be a massive hit and enjoys extensive coverage on ESPN. Investment into the sport has also allowed the Professional Volleyball Federation to launch a new league, and League One Volleyball aims to add its own pro competition across six national locations in 2025.
As well as simply helping US volleyball become bigger and more professional, these kinds of plans also help attract the best players to the country. This could be major US stars, such as Kelsey Robinson, or top foreign players, like Betty De La Cruz. Being able to attract talent like this has helped volleyball in the USA to draw more fans in and give them role models to emulate.
Where next for US volleyball?
Whilst the above shows just how volleyball in the USA has grown over the years, it’s interesting to consider what might lie in store for it next. With no signs of any slowdown soon, it seems sensible to think that the sport will only grow further in popularity around the various states and pick up even more fans.
This continued growth into the sporting mainstream should also see even more media coverage to drive further progress. You should not be surprised to see even more games shown on various TV channels or programs dedicated to the sport.
Volleyball in the USA: A modern success story The recent growth in the sport of volleyball across the USA means that it’s now not only turning into one of the top sports there nationally but also becoming one of the top locations for volleyball internationally. If it continues to enjoy an upward trajectory in years to come, the sky really will be the limit.
