Nine-Men Chinese Volleyball

This weekend was destined to be about that sport -- rather unexpectedly.

A buddy of mine told me that he'd spotted what looked like volleyball courts lined over a span of 8 blocks on Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks past the White House. That seemed a bit odd, so I went to check it out today.

What I found was a variation of traditional volleyball, played right on pavement, with 9-men teams, 60% of them Chinese and the remainder of Asian descent. The courts are a bit wider and shorter (10x10m) and the rules definitely a bit looser when it comes to hand touches, but the whole thing is so powerful and fast! It is the first time in a lifetime of watching that sport that I saw a five-men block. Wow!

If you're interested in more shots from that event, here's the link.