"I'm not willing to lessen myself to make others feel comfortable," Jordan Lucas says without hesitation, which is exactly the way he plays volleyball, too. The outside hitter at California State University, Northridge, flies through the air, lands and bursts into celebration as the crowd reacts.
His celebrations are big, his presence is undeniable and his love for the game is impossible to ignore. Clips of Lucas' athleticism often go viral on social media, with some calling him "too much." For Lucas, it's not flair, just conviction. For this NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete and CSUN graduate, showing up fully with skill, style and self has shaped every step of his journey as an openly gay student-athlete.
Lucas comes from an athletic family, one rooted in basketball. His father, Jeff, played at Hawaii, while his brother, Jarod, competed at Oregon State and Nevada. His mom played volleyball in high school. He played basketball until he was about 13, when he realized it no longer brought him joy.
"It was also like being in your brother's shadow," he said. "My brother is a pretty good basketball player, especially in the area that we grew up in. For me, I realized I wanted to create something bigger for myself."
The conversation with his parents went smoother than he expected, but with one condition: He was told to pick a new sport and do it quickly. Volleyball found him almost by accident.
"My dad is the local boys basketball coach at our high school," he said. "His team would practice after women's volleyball, and I'd always be there after school anyway, waiting for my dad to be done. The volleyball coach one day asked if I wanted to hop in, and I said sure! That's really where my love of volleyball started in seventh grade, and fast forward to my freshman year of high school, I was strictly just playing volleyball."
He developed quickly. By his senior year in 2022, he had led his team to a state championship and earned Boys Volleyball Player of the Year honors twice. He also trained with USA Volleyball as a member of the youth and U19 national teams.
Jordan Lucas shares a moment with his parents and older brother after his high school team's championship victory. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Lucas)
His rapid development on the court brought the prospect of playing at the collegiate level. This would also be a time in his life where he'd need volleyball the most.
"I always felt like I lived two separate lives," Lucas said. "I was 14, 15, 16, and thinking, 'How am I going to merge these two parts of me?' In my family, no one is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so I really thought, 'How are these two parts of me ever going to merge?' And playing volleyball really allowed me the space to take ownership of my feelings and fully own my sexuality. My expression that I kept within at home and with my friends, it gave me the opportunity to really be myself. One thing that I told myself from a young age was that I would never change who I am in the sport of volleyball to appease others, because this sport gave me so much of myself."
By 16, Lucas was openly out to his friends and family, which made his freedom on the court even more meaningful. That freedom was expressed in myriad ways, from wearing colorful accessories to the energy in his celebrations. His joy was clear, and what some viewed as theatrics was a form of self-ownership.
"I think the biggest misconception of me is that the celebrations or 'antics' are centered solely on me," he said. "You see me doing them, but I immediately come back and celebrate even more with my team at the end. I feel like that is a disconnect for some, and I don't think a lot of people understood it. I tried really hard at 17 and 18 to explain that this is just who I am."
As a standout high school student-athlete, Lucas' resume spoke for itself. However, navigating recruitment as an openly gay athlete was challenging. The language was subtle, and while he was praised for his game, it often came with hesitation that was harder to define.
"I'd hear things like 'We just want the right fit,'" he said. "Or that they valued a certain team culture. I started to wonder what those things really meant."
Lucas finally found his right fit at CSUN, a program that affirmed and embraced every part of him. That support became especially clear after his teammates rallied around him when a video of him playing went viral, racking up more than 30 million views in a week.
"They had my back," he said. "They told me, 'Jordan, we support you and have so much respect for you, the person you are and who you are to us.' They've always been so supportive about a lot of things that have gone on in my life. That bond is something I was very fortunate to have here."
Before transferring to CSUN, Lucas spent two seasons at Grand Canyon. While there, he helped lead the Lopes to the quarterfinals and semifinals of the National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship. As a sophomore, he won the NCAA Elite 90 award, now known as the Elite Scholar-Athlete award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
Jordan Lucas wins the NCAA Elite 90 award, now known as the Elite Scholar-Athlete. The award recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site of each of the NCAA's championships. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Lucas)
"I would say one of my proudest moments was winning the Elite 90 award," he said. "I was under the impression that there were only athletic awards given out at the banquet, but later my friends explained to me that because of my 3.9 grade-point average and my athletics, I would be winning this prestigious award. It was one of the coolest things, and to this day, I still have it on my dresser at my house."
Lucas has had time to reflect on the spotlight that has followed him. With that visibility comes a growing sense of responsibility.
"I think being an openly out student-athlete is a privilege," he said. "I think most of us who are out and are student-athletes really lean into it. And that's the cool thing about sports is that they give you insight into who you are on a deeper level, which allows that to exude in your personal life outside of athletics. My last four years of college athletics, I've loved being the person I am and hope I have helped or inspired others in the youth volleyball circuit or youth athlete circuit to really take ownership of who they are."
That impact is tangible. As a youth volleyball coach, Lucas is actively helping to shape the next generation — not just in skill, but in developing confidence and identity, as well. One moment has stayed with him.
"The team I coach played in a tournament a few weeks ago, and one of the moms came up to me with her 9- or 10-year-old son right behind her, (saying), 'My son is your biggest fan,'" he said. "I'm blown away. We take a photo, do a fist bump, and the mom shared more about him and his journey. That was the moment when I thought — wow, this is really affecting younger kids, the ability to see someone really understand and accept who they are. Which, when you think about it, is super cool."
Lucas plans to continue coaching youth volleyball next season. He also plans to complete his final year of athletics eligibility while pursuing a master's degree in business administration.
He'll return to the sanctity of the volleyball court as proof that there's no right way to belong — and living without shrinking makes space for others to do the same.
Lucas encourages people to "lean into who you are because that's what will help you shine."
"It's OK to be who you are," he said. "You don't have to fit a mold. It's OK to create your own path and be the only person in your lane."
