One of the partners has the ball and holds it out away from their body in front of their belly button. The player then turns and drops the ball and the partner has to move and catch the ball before it bounces twice and they repeat (no dummy moves and the ball must land twice in the same place).
As they get better at the game, the player catching the ball must be facing their partner when they catch the ball and the ball must be caught with their hands just in front of and between their knees.
The catcher then must turn and drop the ball within 1 or 2 seconds. You play this game for points or time.
Most teams win the dig and then hand the point straight back with a slow, predictable transition swing. The best 2026 sides treat the moment after the dig as their sharpest scoring chance, feeding the middle in transition and running first-tempo attacks off a defensive ball.
When the first pass breaks down, most teams collapse into a high ball straight into the opposing block. The best 2026 sides are building structured out-of-system offences that turn broken plays into scoring chances using libero sets, left-side options and disciplined hitter routes.
The modern pipe attack has evolved from a high middle-back set into a flat, fast weapon that arrives at quick tempo. Coaches at every level are now drilling it as a primary scoring option, forcing blockers into impossible decisions and unlocking four-hitter offences.