Tip by Scot Stacey, Honeyville, Utah.
I coach a lot of different ages, so I try to have drills that work at different levels. This one works better for older, obviously, but it works well for younger ones too. I call this drill 'Release'. You start with all kids in three lines on one endline. The coach stands at the net and either tosses, bounces, or free balls to the team to get it started.
The first player calls it and passes it for their teammate. That player 'releases' and heads over to the other side of the net. The second person passes/sets the ball to the third player who is calling for it. Then the second player releases to the other side of the net. The players who have released should be calling for the ball so that the third person can aim for those players. when the third player sends the ball over, the same three players pass, set, hit the ball back over to three new players.
The first three then step off the court while the new three play it out. The goal is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible no matter what. Players are working hard to keep the ball moving, hustling and chasing. The coach counts the times the ball crosses the net and the team tries to beat it. Younger players can focus on just getting it over, older players can add in swings. Great to reinforce ball control, communication, and hustle.