Dig and Lob
Why this drill
Sometimes you don't get the kitchen line — and the team that can defend from deep, throw up an honest lob, and live another rally steals points it had no right to win. Backcourt defense is a skill, not a hope.
Setup
Attacker at the non-volley-zone line with a supply of balls; defender at the opposite baseline. Half court, straight ahead.
The drill
The attacker hits controlled aggressive balls — volleys deep to the feet, medium overheads off anything high — and the defender's job is to stay in the rally: dig the low ones back deep, and when stretched, throw the reset lob high and deep enough to buy a full recovery. The rep continues until the defender misses or lands three consecutive answers that would keep a real point alive. Count survivals per turn; rotate every three minutes. Attackers: pressure, not execution — keep the ball at the defender.
One thought to take on court
When stretched, add height — a high deep ball is defense that doubles as rest.