In volleyball, that's called an "attack" or "spike" when a player contacts the ball and drives it over the net to score a point on the opponent's side.

This core action defines offensive play, where the third contact (after pass and set) aims to terminate the rally by landing the ball untouched on the other court.

Volleyball Context

Volleyball rules emphasize precise terminology for such plays. An attack is any over-the-net hit from the opponent's side intended to score, often executed as a powerful downward spike (or "kill" if it results in a point).

  • Front-row players can fully jump and swing overhead.
  • Back-row players attack from behind the 10-foot line.
  • No attacking a serve or free ball over the net before it breaks the plane.

Imagine a setter lobbing the ball high; the outside hitter leaps, snaps their wrist, and boom —the ball rockets cross-court for an ace-like kill.

Other Sports?

While volleyball fits best (forums buzz about spikes in 2025 pro leagues), similar terms exist elsewhere:

Sport| Term for Contact-to-Score Play| Key Difference
---|---|---
Spikeball| Rally-ending spike| Hits round net, 3-contact max 8
Tennis| Groundstroke/winner| Racquet over net, no team limit
Soccer| Shot/strike| Foot/body, goal required 7

No exact universal term spans sports—it's context-specific.

TL;DR: Volleyball attack/spike nails your description perfectly.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.