\u201cI think people are really enamored with me because you don\u2019t often see someone like me \u2013 animated, flamboyant \u2013 but still able to back it up on the volleyball court,\u201d says Jordan Lucas, the outside hitter for Cal State Northridge\u2019s men\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
Although college volleyball has a devoted following and can attract big crowds \u2013 92,000 fans went to see Nebraska take on Omaha<\/a> in 2023 \u2013 it doesn\u2019t usually attract the same attention as basketball or football. That changed last month though when clips of Lucas\u2019s \u201cflamboyant\u201d play \u2013 he\u2019s fond of celebrating with a flick of his hair or a dismissive wave at his opponents \u2013 went viral, amassing millions of views<\/a> on social media. College athletes enjoying social media fame is hardly new: stars such as Paige Bueckers, Harper Murray, Olivia Dunne and Shedeur Sanders all had their viral moments. But Lucas\u2019s case is different. It isn\u2019t just about the highlights, it\u2019s about the conversation surrounding them. Lucas is gay, and that fact has become inseparable from how audiences engage with his game.<\/p>\n Gay male athletes have always existed, but most of them navigated their careers either by remaining closeted or by conforming to a version of masculinity that preserved their place within the rigid expectations of sport: dominant, stoic, unmistakably \u201cmasculine.\u201d Lucas does not. His flamboyance is not muted for acceptability; it is central to his presence, both on and off the court. And while that draws attention, it also invites scrutiny, something he admits has become difficult to ignore.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like people come for the entertainment and the show, and now they\u2019re starting to get invested in my life outside of the court. It\u2019s taken some getting used to,\u201d he says. The duality is striking: on the court, Lucas is passionate and emotive; off it, he describes himself as more reserved.<\/p>\n That tension came into focus during a broadcast, when UC Irvine announcer Charlie Brande remarked, \u201cI\u2019m amazed Jordan Lucas hasn\u2019t been popped by somebody \u2026 The antics he\u2019s making under the net, it\u2019s very distasteful.\u201d Brande issued an apology, acknowledging that violence should never be \u201cacceptable or tolerated.\u201d It was later confirmed Brande will no longer call UC Irvine volleyball games<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lucas\u2019s so-called \u201cantics\u201d were actually celebrations: gestures that are ubiquitous across sports, especially in high-pressure moments. Lucas\u2019s difference lies in how he expresses himself: finger snaps, hair flips, waves to opponents, the occasional sashaying turn. In another context, he might be praised rather than dismissed.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n \u201cI celebrate because it\u2019s fun. In professional sports \u2013 the NBA, NFL, MLB \u2013 it\u2019s about talent, but it\u2019s also about what separates you from the pack,\u201d Lucas says. \u201cI\u2019m not going to tone down who I am. That\u2019s why people watch me play.\u201d<\/p>\n He adds that teammates, coaches, and staff have been overwhelmingly supportive of his self-expression.<\/p>\n Lucas\u2019s path to volleyball wasn\u2019t predetermined. He was raised in a family of basketball fanatics \u2013 his older brother Jarod played for Nevada and Oregon State<\/a> and the siblings have supported each other\u2019s careers<\/a> \u2013 but Jordan resisted the sport from an early age.<\/p>\n \u201cI hated basketball. It was a growing pain, especially for my dad, because it\u2019s all he\u2019s known,\u201d he says. He eventually concentrated on volleyball, a move that proved transformative. \u201cI felt like I could always be myself in volleyball. It was an escape. I was living two lives: my volleyball life, where I could be myself, and my personal life.\u201d<\/p>\n Even before this viral moment, Lucas recalls being a polarizing figure. \u201cPeople either love or hate the way I play,\u201d he says. \u201cBut they\u2019re enamored, because you don\u2019t really see people like me in this sport, or in sports in general.\u201d<\/p>\n The backlash, both online and in person, has been intense at times, but it has also sharpened his resolve. \u201cBeing gay, I\u2019ve known who I am for years. When people antagonize me, it just gives me more fire. It\u2019s like, let me show you who I am,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m not going to let anyone disrespect me. I\u2019m not losing.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordan Lucas comes from a basketball family but chose to concentrate on volleyball. Photograph: The Big West<\/p>\n Online comments ranged from dismissive to overtly homophobic: \u201csassy ball,\u201d one reads; \u201cGayyyyy,\u201d says another. Lucas notes that much of the venom comes from men. \u201cThere\u2019s this stereotype that men in sports have to be dominant, brute, hyper-physical. I\u2019m not really like that. I like antics. I\u2019m more feminine,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n For Lucas, the issue is less about criticism and more about inconsistency. \u201cYou\u2019re not telling the best NFL players not to do end zone dances or post on TikTok. I\u2019m doing the same thing \u2013 just in a more feminine way.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the support has been just as visible. Figures such as Mark Cuban and Billy Porter, along with players across the WNBA, have voiced encouragement. Lucas is acutely aware of what his visibility represents. As one of the few openly gay players in men\u2019s volleyball, he occupies a space that extends beyond the game itself.<\/p>\n \u201cI think about the young boys I could inspire,\u201d he says. \u201cMy plan was to be done with volleyball, but so much is changing.\u201d While he remains uncertain about his next steps, his intention is clear: \u201cI want younger LGBTQ athletes to see me and know they can succeed in sports, that they can flourish and be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n