The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots volleyball team is in the midst of camp preparing for the upcoming season under new head coach Jacqui Wynn.

Wynn and Jonathan Valdez brought along some special instructors to help at camp as Ruben Valdez Carrión and Amanda Vinalova all flew in from Puerto Rico at the beginning of the week to help.

“We have been having a ball,” Wynn said. “We have coach Valdez’s brother Ruben Valdez here and he brought two of his girls to help. They are doing amazing. They have been helping with pass and hitting drills, and it has really helped the girls. It’s been good to see them grow and to be able to see things that they haven’t seen in a while or ever.”

Ruben Valdez is a former professional volleyball player and assistant coach. He is now the head coach of both the female and male volleyball teams at Caribbean University of Puerto Rico.

“Puerto Rico has a different type of volleyball that you are used to seeing at the college levels here in the US,” Wynn said. “It’s more of an aggressive play instead of sitting back on your heels.”

Wynn came to Pike at the end of the school year and is using this week to really get to know her players.

“I have enjoyed being able to spend time with the girls,” Wynn said. “I have been able to watch how they learn and see if they do better being shown or told what to do.”

The camp will wind up this afternoon. “It gives us a head start,” Wynn said. “It’s been a good way to jumpstart the girls and get them back into it and working as a team.”

The Patriots will begin the season August 6 at the Macon East Jamboree.