The Cal State Northridge player has attracted millions of views for his hair flicks and dismissive waves. He says navigating the fallout has been a career of its own

“I think people are really enamored with me because you don’t often see someone like me – animated, flamboyant – but still able to back it up on the volleyball court,” says Jordan Lucas, the outside hitter for Cal State Northridge’s men’s team.

Although college volleyball has a devoted following and can attract big crowds – 92,000 fans went to see Nebraska take on Omaha in 2023 – it doesn’t usually attract the same attention as basketball or football. That changed last month though when clips of Lucas’s “flamboyant” play – he’s fond of celebrating with a flick of his hair or a dismissive wave at his opponents – went viral, amassing millions of views 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’s case is different. It isn’t just about the highlights, it’s about the conversation surrounding them. Lucas is gay, and that fact has become inseparable from how audiences engage with his game.

Arizona State’s head coach has turned around a losing program. Unsurprisingly, much of the discourse on the internet was not based on her leadership skills

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In March 2025, the Arizona State women’s basketball team were looking for a coach who could end a drought that had seen them go without a NCAA Tournament appearance – or even a winning season – since 2019-20.

The choice was Molly Miller, a proven and successful head coach at Grand Canyon. Miller had led the Lopes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and a 32–3 record in her final season with the team – a benchmark for the program and an important accomplishment within the broader scope of college basketball. She soon turned around Arizona State, leading them to a 24-11 record and a first appearance at the NCAA Tournament in six years. (Their season ended in the First Four.)