Volleyball was invented in the United States in 1895 and made its first appearance in Canada in 1900 when an Ottawa branch of the YMCA included it in its schedule.

While the sport spread throughout the United States, Russia and Asia before the First World War, it lay relatively dormant in Canada.

With the creation of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) shortly after the Second World War, the sport gained international recognition.

Since 1976, both the Men's and Women's indoor National Teams have participated in the Olympic Games and the World Championships on several occasions.

The best result for both the Men's and Women's teams was achieved at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles where they finished 4th and 8th respectively.