Volleyball
The sport of volleyball has a long and rich history dating back to the end of the 19th century. In the modern day, the core of the game lies in mainland Europe where the most active leagues and competitions are based but it’s enjoyed all over the world. Volleyball also has a very large following on our sportsbook and that may surprise some of our customers who have yet to consider it. If you’ve yet to get involved, please read on and we’ll guide you through the sport. In addition, we’ll let you know how you can access Unibet TV in order to live stream the top games.
Volleyball at the Olympics
It took a while for volleyball to be accepted into the Olympic family with recognition finally coming along at the Tokyo games in 1964. The competition featured both a men’s and women’s section and the sport has been a permanent fixture at the summer Olympics ever since.
The very first tournament saw the former Soviet Union take the gold for the men while the women’s equivalent was won by the host nation Japan. The Soviets would go on to win three men’s golds at the games and that mark has since been matched by the United States and Brazil. Further golds in the men’s section have been claimed by Japan, Poland, Russia, Serbia and the Netherlands.
For the women, Japan would add another gold medal in 1976 in Montreal while the Soviet Union still head the overall table with four golds. China and Cuba with three golds and Brazil with two are the only other nations to have won the women’s section to date. With the obvious exception of the Soviet Union, all of those countries will attract interest in our Olympic volleyball markets. To back up our sportsbook, we have Unibet TV with its live stream of all the top events from the summer games.
Major Competitions
Volleyball also has a world championship with sections for both men and women. The tournament predates the Olympic entry, having been founded in 1949 and in the present day it is scheduled to take place every four years. Results show that, up to and including the 2018 event, the former Soviet Union are the most successful side in the men’s championship with six wins. Of the current crop of nations, Poland, Brazil and Italy have all won the men’s volleyball world championship on three separate occasions.
Over in the women’s edition of the global tournament, competition began in 1952 and the leading nation in terms of overall victories are the Soviet Union with five wins. Behind the USSR are Japan, Cuba, China and Russia who have also lifted the trophy on multiple occasions.
Whenever either edition of the volleyball world championship comes along, this area of our sportsbook will become busier with comprehensive markets and extensive live coverage via Unibet TV. Be sure to check out both options if you are following the biggest competitions in the sport.
Domestic Competitions
There are two more international tournaments to tell you about and these are the Nations League and the Challenger Cup. Organised by the Federation for International Volleyball (FIVB), these competitions are recent additions to the calendar, having replaced the World League and the World Grand Prix.
As the names indicate, the Nations League is played on a round robin, league basis while the Challenger Cup has the knockout element. It’s early days for both of these tournaments but results from the World League and World Grand Prix indicate that those who have enjoyed success at the Olympics and the World Championships are likely to start among the favourites.
Beyond the main international competitions, there are volleyball leagues in place right across the world with betting markets and live streaming available for many of these. While we have to wait four years for the major global events to come along, the leagues are in place for much of the sporting year and they make our volleyball markets active across 12 months of sporting action.
Betting on and Watching Live Volleyball
We’ve covered the list of major events within volleyball but what can you actually bet on? Markets can start with the outrights where you can speculate on the winners of the league or tournament in question. From there, we have options for match result, while volleyball is a sport that provides a number of side bets along the way.
The sport is focussed on points so you could bet on the total number of points that you expect to be scored across a game. To find out what’s available at any specific time, click on the volleyball button to reveal a list of current matches.
In terms of watching those games via our live streaming service, it’s really very easy to access Unibet TV. No subscription is required and you don’t even need to place a bet on the game that you intend to watch. As long as you have funds in your account or, you have placed a cash bet within the previous 24 hours, you can log on and take in the action.
Our live stream has an added bonus for those that like to bet in play. Odds are updated as the game progresses so you can assess those live prices before making your decision. Tune in via your mobile device or, you can choose to log on to the feed via a desktop or laptop.
