RIT Volleyball Girls Position Resident and Commuter Camp (Setter, Hitter, Libero) - July 11-13, 2025

This camp is designed for the player interested in specialized skill training. Each camp is geared for the beginning, intermediate and advanced level player looking to focus on a specialized position. Players from ages 10 to 18 interested in three days of drills and training will benefit from this experience. This camp is a three day (7 sessions) training camp. For residential campers, the fee includes registration, housing (two nights), all meals and a camp T-shirt. For commuters, the fee includes registration, some meals (dinner on July 11, lunch and dinner on July 12, lunch on July 13) and a camp T-shirt.  

Positions include:

1. SETTER CAMP which concentrates on setting skill techniques with training repetitions in footwork, attack skills, and various set types.
2. HITTER CAMP which will focus on a variety of attack skills from the outside hitter, middle hitter and right side attackers. Quick attacks, as well as play-sets, for the hitter will also be emphasized. Footwork, arm swing, and blocking skills will also be of primary focus. Please identify your position on application (OH, MH, RSH).
3. LIBERO CAMP which concentrates on all passing and defensive skill techniques with training repetitions in footwork, ball control, as well as, extend and recover.

Commuter Fee: $315
Residential Fee: $380

Pickup Policy

To track all drop-offs and pickups of children, parents/guardians are required to sign children in/out on the daily attendance sheet. Staff are not permitted to sign these sheets on behalf of parents/guardians.

Generally, persons picking up children must be at least 18 years of age and bring a valid photo identification. In exceptional circumstances, and only with the parent/guardian’s written consent, a younger individual may be permitted to pick up a child.

RIT Volleyball Camp Staff

The advantage of attending our camps is the quality and experience of the coaching staff. In addition to the RIT coaching staff and players, the camp staff will consist of outstanding NCAA & NAIA collegiate coaches, high school coaches, club coaches as well as collegiate players. The maximum camper to counselor ratio will be 8:1. This allows each camper to also receive individual attention as well as small group instruction.

Camp Director RIT Head Coach Jim Lodes

Jim Lodes enters his 20th season as head coach of the RIT women’s volleyball program in 2024. The winningest coach in program history (408-358) has enjoyed two tenures as head coach at RIT, first from 1991-95 and from 2010 to the present.

Lodes guided his 2021 squad to a 25-5 record, including an unbeaten 7-0 Liberty League record for the first time in program history before receiving an at-large bid to the program's 12th NCAA Division III Tournament. Seeded first in the region and awarded one of the tournament's eight Regional Championship sites, the Tigers defeated Framingham State in the opening round before falling to Wesleyan in the regional semifinals. 

Three players were named All-American, including third-team honoree Katie Hobler, along with honorable-mention picks Taylor Higgins and Sydney Neff. The Liberty League also selected RIT as the Coaching Staff of the Year. 
 
Lodes was named the 2018 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) New York Region Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 29-5 record, including the program's first Liberty League Championship, as well as the first NCAA Tournament showing since 2007. Hobler was named an AVCA Third-Team All-American as well as Liberty League First-Team All-Conference and Rookie of the Year, while Erin Parkinson was an Honorable Mention All-American. Parkinson also joined Taylor Higgins on the Liberty League second-team.
 
In 2014, Lodes led the squad to its first Liberty League Championship match, recording 22 wins. Lodes recruited and coached 2017 graduate Sarah Szybist, a four-time AVCA All-American, 2017 RIT Senior Female Athlete of the Year and 2016 CoSIDA Volleyball Academic All-America of the Year. She finished sixth in Division III history wth 2,563 career kills.
 
Lodes has helped continue the great success the program has enjoyed in the classroom. Last year, RIT earned its eighth-concecutive AVCA Team Academic Award, while six players earned Liberty League All-Academic Team honors.

Hobler became the seventh Tiger in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors over the last nine seasons, and joined Suzanne Jokajtys, Cat Sullivan, Szybist (three times) and Kayla Wheeler (twice) in garnering CoSIDA Academic All-America.

In his first stint at RIT, Lodes led the Tigers to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals and a third-place finish in 1993. He coached three AVCA All-Americans (Liang Gaik Khaw, Kris Gray, and Jen Polo) and three GTE Academic All-Americans (Liang Gaik Khaw, Kris Gray, and Lucy Emberg). He led the Tigers to three Empire Athletic Association titles in 1991, 1992, and 1993 and the New York State Championship in 1991 and 1993.

Before returning to RIT, Lodes spent four years as the head coach at the University at Buffalo, helping the Bulls to a then school record 10 consecutive Division I wins in 2006 and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award in 2007 and 2008.

Prior to Buffalo, Lodes was an assistant at D1 North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels reach the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals and a No. 12 final national ranking in 2002. He was also the head coach at both Lees-McRae College, where his teams won the Carolinas-Virginia Conference regular season and tournament championships both seasons (2000 and 2001), and his alma mater SUNY Brockport, where they were SUNYAC finalists in 1999.

He has worked with the Primo and Volley FX Junior Olympic girls teams, the Pace Bootlegger Junior Olympic boys team, served as a clinician, coached several area high school teams, and is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
 
On Oct. 20, 2012, Lodes won his 232nd match as head coach at RIT in a victory over St. Lawrence, surpassing the previous record of 231, held by Roger Worsley. Lodes earned his 300th win at the university on Sept. 17, 2016. On Oct. 4, 2014, Lodes reached the 400-win milestone for his overall career, as RIT defeated the University of Pittsburgh Bradford.  Lodes is 493-469 in his coaching career, spanning all three Divisions and five schools.

Lodes graduated from Brockport in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports management. He currently lives in West Henrietta.

RIT Assistant Head Coach Jason Kozak

Jason Kozak joined the RIT Women's Volleyball coaching staff prior to the 2024 season.

A veteran head coach with over nearly 30 years of experience at all three NCAA levels, he previously served as Head Coach at Division-I St. Francis University (Pa.) from 2014-16, Division-II University of Charleston from 2012-14 and Division III Hollins (Va.) from 2010-12. Kozak also had a six-year stint as an assistant coach at Division-I Virginia from 2002-08 after a season as an assistant at Division-I Penn during the 2001-02 academic year.

Kozak most recently spent eight years as President and Recruiting Director of Virginia Elite Volleyball Club.

A 1997 Brockport graduate, his first coaching job was at his alma mater for a season following graduation with a degree in physical education.

Housing and Meals

All overnight campers will be housed two per air conditioned room on the RIT campus. Healthy and nutritional meals are provided in the all you can eat campus dining halls. Other amenities include: cable TV in lounges, laundry facilities and are conveniently located to the camp facilities on campus.

Facilities

Camp sessions are conducted on the RIT campus. Facilities include Clark Gymnasium, Auxiliary Gym and the Student Life Center. The RIT Volleyball Camp allows the athlete to experience the university setting. Each session offers a unique opportunity for any young volleyball player to benefit from intensive volleyball instruction as well as exposure to the university community.

Special features

• Campers who attend consecutive camps are offered FREE housing for the evening between camps.
• Commuter campers should be picked up and dropped off at Gordon Field House. Lunch and dinner meals are included daily for all commuters.
• All campers receive a RIT Volleyball T-shirt (please indicate your size on the application form).
• Overnight camper housing is included with registration fee.
• Certified Athletic Trainer will be available at all times.

Typical Daily Schedule of Activities

All times and schedules are subject to change

July 11

                  
July 12

July 13