More than 250 Special Olympics athletes are getting ready to spike, set and win this Saturday at the 18th annual Special Olympics Volleyball Tournament.

The tournament, to be held Saturday at the ISU Physical Education Building from 9-4 p.m., annually attracts established Special Olympics volleyball teams from group homes, sheltered workshops, care facilities, schools and community groups from across the state.

Jim Rauschenbach, coordinator of the tournament and an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, said the four-team divisions are grouped by ability to include different levels of mentally and physically impaired students.

“It involves all different developmental levels. We have people who are a little less ambulatory in lower level tournaments all the way up to real power volleyball,” he said. “You will see these Special Olympic athletes spiking the ball and overhead serving and everything.”

The tournament will incorporate nearly 300 ISU student volunteers that will serve as officials, assistant coaches, line judges, scorekeepers, runners and hosts and hostesses. Rauschenbach said the event has an overwhelming amount of student support the day of the tournament.

“This event is put together like a standard tournament. No matter what their skill level is, the participants are excited and ready to play,” he said “I think that is what our volunteers really enjoy — the energy those athletes generate the day of the event.”

The Special Olympics athletes have positive attitudes and make the event so much fun that several students volunteer their services year after year, Rauschenbach said.

“Our young athletes are super excited. They’re pumped up and ready to go — it is really incredible what they can accomplish,” he said. “Their enthusiasm is what keeps volunteers coming back.”

Kevin Monroe, a senior in special education and health and human performance, is one of the many repeat volunteers for the tournament.

“I like to see the kids perform because for a lot of the athletes, whether they won or lost isn’t as important as having fun,” he said. “You can’t tell who won and who last at the end of the game because that’s not the most important thing to them.”

The volleyball tournament, one of the many Special Olympics events held throughout the year, attracts many fans as well.

“When Special Olympics descends on this campus, they bring a lot of parents, families, friends and all sorts of extra support with them. We are packed to the gills with people the entire day,” Rauschenbach said.

Pam Wagner, program coordinator for the Iowa Special Olympics, said, “The neatest thing about the tournament is to see all of the athletes in their Cyclone colors. For some, this is the only chance they get to go to college. This is their opportunity to be in the spotlight and feel important.”

Anyone interested in volunteering for the tournament this Saturday should call Rauschenbach at 294-8261.