Players work in pairs facing each other, and with a crash met by one of the players.
The player opposite starts with the ball and underhand passes it to their teammate, who takes flight off of their front foot, and digs the ball at full force.
The ball should be thrown at a good height to enable the player to dive properly towards it. The knees should not make contact with the floor on landing.
As a progression, the drill should be done exactly the same, but now without the crash mat.
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.
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