Attack
Any ball you send over on the third contact to try to score, whether you rip a swing, roll shot, tip, or setter dump. In-system volleyball offense is still mostly pass-set-attack, and every attack that ends the rally in your favor goes down as a kill in the stats. Beach adds the same idea with two players: if you are on two, the second contact is often an attack on two when you are in trouble.
Example
A clean 3-pass, a high set to the left pin, and the outside bounces a hard cross-court swing in for a kill. That is an attack, and the ref awards the point on the first whistle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an attack and a spike?
A spike is a hard, terminal swing, usually with a full approach. The word attack is the big tent: it covers spikes, off-speed stuff, and dumps. You can have a great attacking night with a low error rate without swinging hard on every touch.
Can back-row players attack in volleyball?
Yes. Under FIVB indoor rules, a back-row player may not complete an attack hit if the takeoff is from on or in front of the attack line while the ball is entirely above the height of the net. Jump from behind the 3-meter line, land anywhere. Pipes from zone 6 and back-row bounces from zone 1 are the usual paths, and the NCAA and NFHS high school books track the same idea on the 10-foot line.