ecuavolley

n. a form of volleyball with a high net, three players per side, and permissive ball-handling rules. Subjects: Spanish, Ecuador, Sports & Recreation

Editorial Note: This game originated in Ecuador at least as early as the 1960s, but is increasingly visible in other countries. In Spanish-speaking countries it is sometimes spelled Ecuavoli or Ecuaboli. Etymological Note: Ecuador + volleyball

Comments? | Cites | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Citations: 1990 Phyllis White; Robert White St. Petersburg Times (Florida) (Jan. 7) “Ecuador: A Blanket Bargain” p. 1E: There’s also a court where the local game, played fiercely here, is “Ecuavolley,” a version of volleyball with a high net and only three players on each side. Any gringo not used to exercising at this altitude will last about the first 10 minutes. 1999 Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld The Native Leisure Class (Nov. 1) p. 22: Aside from water taps and electricpoles, Ariasucu’s only public infrastructure is a concrete volleyball court. Beginning around three o’clock in the afternoon, men of any age gather to play three-a-side “Ecuavolley,” betting the equivalent of a day’s wages on the outcome. 2000 Wilma Roos In Focus Ecuador (Oct. 1) p. 66: The other favorite is the more obviously named ecua-volley, a game played between two teams of three. According to ecuavolley rules, the net hangs at a height of at least six feet and players are allowed almost to catch the ball before throwing it over the net, a skill disallowed by orthodox volleyball. 2005 Nathan Thornburgh @ Danbury, Conn. Time (Aug. 1) “Serving Up a Conflict”: What’s to blame for the moral rot? It’s not drug dealing or gang wars. In Danbury the vice, according to local officials and longtime residents, is volleyball. Specifically, “ecuavolley,” a form of the game so beloved in Ecuador that when Ecuadorians began migrating en masse to this small working-class New England city, they built backyard courts all over town, some big enough to accommodate up to 150 fans and players.

Posted 5 Aug 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend