While many area students beat the heat Tuesday by taking a dip in the swimming pool, 240 volleyball enthusiasts from grades 6-12 took part in the Ray Bechard Summer Skills Camp at the Horejsi Center.

The camp allows participants to hone their playing skills by performing a variety of hitting, setting, footwork and defensive drills in four gyms on the Kansas University campus.

KU coach Ray Bechard said this year’s group had a wide range of talent.

“We got some players here, it’s their first opportunity to even be exposed to the sport, and then you have others who play year-round in club and high school,” Bechard said. “But we try to reach each and every one of those campers somehow with a message that you work hard, play with energy and enthusiasm and a little bit of self belief, you can do some good things.”

In addition to receiving a camp notebook that details the camp’s training techniques, players are evaluated on performance and grouped accordingly.

Bechard said the goal of the camp is to expose players to volleyball and raise the talent level in the Lawrence area.

“Obviously, we’re depending on area talent to sustain a program over time,” Bechard said. “We go all over the world to get recruits, but in the end if you can have a deep pool of talent in the area it’s going to greatly benefit you in the long run.”

Kansas University's Emily Brown, right, talks with Addison Barry, 10, center, of Topeka. Barry took part in the KU volleyball skills camp Tuesday at Horejsi Center.

KU senior outside hitter Emily Brown said the summer camps give her a chance to get away from the grind of being a student-athlete, at least for a while.

“I think a lot of us enjoy it,” she said. “I know I’m going into education, so I’m all about working with kids. So it makes it fun for everybody.

“We have weights and conditioning four times a week at 6 a.m. That’s lovely,” Brown joked. “We have it before camp so it kind of makes for a long day at camp.”

Brown grew up in Baldwin City and was a regular attendee at summer camps. She said the KU summer camps helped her decide to come play at KU.

“I just remember it being so fun,” Brown said. “When I was choosing where I wanted to go to school, I went to a couple of different college camps, and I just always remembered that KU was always the most fun camp that I ever went to. I think it’s set up really well. You get three sessions of volleyball a day, and you get to do some fun things like ice cream socials and skit night. It just makes it an overall good experience.”

But when camp ends, Brown and her teammates are working to improve from last season.

“We’re getting together and playing at night,” she said. “Last summer we would get together every once in a while, which has been kind of a problem in the past. But we’re playing a lot more this summer. Everyone’s here this summer, and we’re working out together and just being together. It’s better.”

Brown said this year she is looking forward to the first day of classes on Aug. 16.

“I never thought I’d be looking forward to school, but I am because that means our season’s here,” Brown said. “I have one more shot, and I’m really excited to get my senior year going.”