Beach Volleyball
While working toward her BA in aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Krishna Ajvalia spent her summer vacations working for industry employers at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. When not studying for her degree, Krishna Ajvalia visited Daytona’s famous beach and kept in shape by playing beach volleyball. Volleyball was invented in 1895. Beach volleyball came a few years later, on the beaches of either Waikiki in Hawaii or Santa Monica, California. The first two-player match was held in Santa Monica in 1930. The first official two-player tournament was held in 1947, for bragging rights only; the winners of the following year’s tournament split a crate of Pepsi-Cola. The two-player game’s popularity grew throughout the United States and worldwide, and became part of the California culture in the 50s and 60s. The first tournament with a commercial sponsor took place in 1974 in San Diego for a first prize of $1,500. The prize grew to $5,000 by 1976, and a sponsored tour was organized in 1980 with seven events and a total of $52,000 in prize money. The first international beach volleyball tournament sanctioned by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was held on Ipanema Beach in Brazil in 1987, with $22,000 in prize money. Interest in the sport grew as larger and larger crowds watched players competing for shares of a growing prize pool. In 1994, the sport was included on the Olympic roster, and the first Olympic beach volleyball matches were held at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. On the professional circuit in 2013, the top-ranked women’s team won $108,500; the men won $87,775. Unlike some sports that require a great deal of organization, specialized equipment, or money, beach volleyball remains enormously popular among the throngs of amateurs who play it only occasionally. This is probably because in addition to being enjoyable and a great fitness regimen, beach volleyball is also very accessible, requiring only a bathing suit, a ball, and a net to play.









