It is commonly accepted that more points are won by a partnership that are both at the net, than one that plays two people back, or worse yet one-up, one-back. This two-up formation often causes confusion however when it comes to deciding who is going to hit the ball. The solution is as simple as deciding who is going to be “the star”.
Any net player that has the ball in front of them on the opponent’s side of the court is considered to have the starring role at that moment. The “supporting” player typically will play a few feet deeper in the court, and is responsible for defensive shots and for setting up their partner so the star can be relatively aggressive. Keeping the ball in front of the star is vitally important as hitting to the opposite side of the court requires a switch in roles and positions usually without the necessary time. The star changes direction on the ball when they know they can end the point.