A shot hit before the ball bounces on the ground, common in tennis, volleyball, and soccer. In tennis, it's typically executed near the net and requires quick reflexes and precise timing.
From French 'volée' meaning 'flight', from Latin 'volare' meaning 'to fly'. The term entered tennis vocabulary in the 1870s, describing hitting the ball while it's still 'in flight'.
The volley is all about cutting down reaction time - by hitting the ball before it bounces, you give your opponent less time to respond, which is why net play can be so devastating in tennis!
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