Volleyball made its Olympic Games debut（初次演出） in Tokyo in 1964, with the Soviet Union winning the men's gold medal and the Japanese women being crowned as champions in front of their home crowd. Since then, volleyball has continued to witness the rise and fall of great international teams, with countries as diverse as Cuba, Brazil, the Soviet Union, China, the United States, the Netherlands, Poland and Japan collecting gold medals. While power and height have become vital components of international teams, the ability of teams and coaches to devise（发明，设计） new tactics（战术）, strategies and skills have been crucial for success at the Olympic Games.

1964年，排球运动首次亮相日本东京奥运会赛场，有10支男队和6支女队参加了比赛。 至2004年雅典奥运会，排球运动进入奥运会这个神圣的殿堂已经整整40个年头。在这充满着光荣与梦想的40年中，奥运会排球比赛的规模已由最初的10支男队和6支女队发展到男女各12支队伍。迄今为止，共有7支男队（前苏联、日本、波兰、美国、巴西、荷兰、前南斯拉夫）和4支女队（日本、前苏联、中国、古巴）荣膺过奥运会排球冠军的殊荣。