The History of High School Volleyball in Chatham-Kent

The game of volleyball was invented in 1895, just four years after basketball (1891) but was not played in local high schools until the 1950s because most gyms up to that time were too small. After WWII several new gyms were built, notably in Merlin, Blenheim and Wallaceburg which permitted the playing of volleyball.

The first Kent County volleyball championship was won by the Wallaceburg senior boys’ team in 1955-56. For the next sixteen consecutive years the senior Tartans won the Kent County title.

The first OFSAA senior boys’ volleyball championship was held in 1956-57. It was not until 1974-75 that girls could participate at OFSAA. Coach Clare Maltby’s senior boys’ team (WDSS) of 1964-65 were the first Kent County school team to win an OFSAA gold medal in any sport.

The CKSS Golden Hawks have won fifteen (ten boys and five girls) OFSAA gold medals in volleyball, more than any other school in the province. The school in second place is West Elgin S.S. (with twelve) which was a member of KCSSAA from 1952 to 1967.

Individuals who played volleyball in the 1960s and 1970s might not recognize the game today.

Players can no longer block the serve. Serves may touch the net. Double hits on the first hit are not illegal. Scoring is by ‘rally point’ meaning one point is scored each rally. In the past a team had to be serving to score. Finally, in 1998, the libero was added. He/she is a player that wears a different coloured shirt who cannot serve, block or attack.

Coaches Jim Smyth and Randy Bartlett are the only local coaches to have led both a boys’ team and a girls’ team to OFSAA gold.

The above selections is an excerpt from local sports historian Larry Lahey’s book, ‘The History of Kent County High School Sports’, which is available at two locations in Chatham, Lenover Quality Meats on Park Ave. East, and the Instant Print Shoppe on Richmond Street.