University of Arizona volleyball coach Rita Stubbs is serving up high energy and fun at her annual youth volleyball camps that kick off this summer.
Stubbs will host multiple camps throughout the summer where players can focus on refining traditional volleyball skills such as passing, setting, attacking and serving.
The next camp in the series on June 13 is designed for high school-level elite players to have a collegiate-like experience with a facilities tour and a fast-paced practice session.
But the camps aren鈥檛 just for the elite. They鈥檙e open to young players of all skill levels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for us to get to know the community a little bit more with the mini camp that we hold in the month of May, and then the others are for the athletes to refine their skills and try to get potential students to come on campus,鈥 Stubbs said. 鈥淎nytime you can get the campus filled with high school players or middle school players, it鈥檚 a good thing.鈥
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Participants pose for a group photo during the Rita Stubbs Serve and Pass volleyball camp on May 29, 2025, in McKale Center. This youth volleyball camp sold out, but there are still several camps in the summer program with open slots.
The first two camps of the series held last month, the Mini Camp and the Serve and Pass Camp, both sold out.
Other upcoming camps include the Position Camp and Intermediate Camp starting on July 7, Elite Camp on July 9, a JV Team Camp for smaller schools on July 11 and a Varsity Team Camp for bigger schools on July 18.
Interested participants can still for future camps. Prices start at $138 and team camps start at $117 per player for JV and $148 per player for varsity.
Stubbs says that the sold-out camps are a good sign that athletes and their parents 鈥渁ppreciate the product and what we鈥檙e doing.鈥
鈥淎s I go through camp, I walk around and I ask the parents, 鈥楬ow are things going? Do you need anything?鈥 Just trying to get their feedback during that time,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd the reviews are always great.

Arizona coach Charita Stubbs coaches up her Wildcats in the 3-0 win over North Dakota St. in the Wildcat Classic, Sept. 19, 2024.
鈥淚 think they enjoy being able to see me interact with them while also interacting with the campers, and then I get emails from time to time, just saying thank you and they鈥檒l highlight certain coaches here or there saying thank you for the attention that they paid to my kid, or just the fact that (we鈥檙e) really focused on making everyone better. It鈥檚 not just the best kids, it鈥檚 making everyone 产别迟迟别谤.鈥
One of Stubbs鈥 favorite parts of the camps is seeing athletes come in, unable to do something, and by the end of camp, they master that skill.
鈥淭his past camp, this past week, we had a young lady who came up to me on the second day, and she goes, 鈥極h my gosh, I鈥檝e gotten so much better, I can hit the ball down while I鈥檓 in the front row. My goal is to learn how to do it from the back row,鈥 and so just teaching her how to hit the different parts of the ball and becoming better at it is definitely a highlight for me,鈥 Stubbs said.
Even though the camps focus on athleticism and refining skills, Stubbs wants to keep the experience fun for athletes while maintaining a small-group learning environment for them to learn and thrive.

Arizona hitter Carlie Cisneros makes a defensive dig in the second set against North Dakota St. in their match at the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Sept. 19, 2024. The Wildcats moved to 10-0 on the season with the sweep of the Bisons.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for me to give back to the community,鈥 Stubbs said. 鈥... And just being able to work with the kids, the students, it鈥檚 just awesome watching them get 产别迟迟别谤.鈥
In recent years, volleyball has grown in popularity in the United States, in part because of the Olympics but also because of an increase in college volleyball on TV and social media, according to the .
The number of junior clubs registered with USA Volleyball has nearly doubled from 2004 to 2024, the AP reported last year.
Back here in Tucson, UA women鈥檚 volleyball had a successful 2024-25 season, logging a 24-9 overall record and a National Invitational Volleyball Championship win in December, with an even brighter future in store for next season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun time,鈥 Stubbs said. 鈥... And, you know, we want them (the participants) to come be a part of what we鈥檙e doing and what we鈥檙e building at the U of A.鈥
For more information about Rita Stubbs鈥 summer volleyball camps, visit .
Contact Elvia Verdugo, the Star鈥檚 community sports editor, at everdugo@tucson.com. A journalism and history graduate from the University of Arizona, she shares stories highlighting what makes 大象APPand its community special.