TUCSON – Arizona head volleyball coach Dave Rubio and the Wildcats held their first day of practice for the 2016 season inside Richard Jefferson Gymnasium, officially kicking off fall camp.

Today's training included a morning and afternoon session.

"It was a good day," said Rubio, entering his 25th season as the Wildcats' head coach. "A lot of learning. Nothing too dramatic, but I liked what I saw."

The Wildcats return five starters from a 2015 squad that went 19-14 and earned the program's third consecutive (and sixth in seven years) trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

"I think we're a lot more athletic than we have been in the past," said Rubio, who welcomes the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the country to join his core of upperclassmen. "It's nice to work with really good athletes and we have a good group of seniors who know the system and are helping out the young players."

The Cats open up the season on Aug. 26 in the Wahine Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Cats take on Kansas State, Wisconsin and Hawaii in the tournament. UA opens its home slate the following week when it hosts the Wildcat Classic Sept. 2 and 3.

For continued coverage of Arizona Wildcat volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and be sure to follow the team on Twitter @ArizonaVBall.