Clara Gregory Baer described the basic elements of the game, consisting of a court divided at the midpoint, with lines marking where the players could move, and outlining the object of the game, to "make the ball touch the opposite ground, beyond the base—when it counts a point for the side sending the ball". This game would eventually become Newcomb ball, and has many similarities to the game of volleyball. The letter by Baer appeared in the January, 1895 edition of the journal, while the first game of volleyball, invented by William G. Morgan was reported to be first played in February 1895.
William S. Morgan Morgan, and his son David Morgan. William S. Morgan William Stephen Morgan (September 7, 1801 – September 3, 1878) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia. Born in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia), Morgan attended the public schools. He engaged in agricultural pursuits at White Day, Virginia. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1832 to the Twenty-third Congress. Morgan was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth Congress and reelected as a Democrat to the Twenty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1835 – March 4, 1839). He served as chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions (Twenty-fifth Congress). He declined