A spike is when an attacker tries to score a point by hitting the ball downwards onto the opponents' court.
A dump is when the setter – normally the second player on a side to touch the ball – rather than setting it up for an attacker to attempt a spike, tries to place it onto the opponents' court themselves, directly.
A dig is a defensive contact following an opponent's attack, resulting in a playable ball.
A block is when one or more players stand at the net to try and block the opponents' spike.
A float is an overhand serve, where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes unpredictable (similar to a knuckleball in baseball).
The pass (a.k.a. reception) is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's serve, or any form of attack.
Penetration is when a player reaches across the net to perform a block. (Apparently this is not illegal!)
A wipe (also known as a tool, or block abuse) is where an attacker, rather than attempting a spike, hits it so that it touches the opponent's block and bounces off–court.
© Haydn Thompson 2022