It’s not easy to become a TikTok sensation in the age of social media. And yet Jordan Lucas has managed that almost effortlessly, going viral not for a skit or something akin to that. Instead, Lucas has gone viral for doing what he has been doing since the age of 11: playing volleyball and celebrating his kills. The Cal State Northridge NCAA star is one of the best at what he does and clearly loves it, but sometimes, not everyone loves the way he goes about it.

That happened earlier this week, when broadcaster Charlie Brande delivered a pointed remark about Lucas during a recent match-up between the CSUN team and their Top-10 Big West rival UC-Irvine. It has seen a wave of support surround the volleyball star, with his already burgeoning social media presence exploding since the story broke.

“The support has been amazing,” Lucas told OutSports. “I don’t know what other word could describe it. People rallying behind something that isn’t talked about enough in athletics, college, amateur, or pro — being LGBT.”

“It’s been a little overwhelming, but overall it’s been very positive. I’m happy to have people backing me.”

For context, every time Lucas spikes the ball and wins his side a point, i.e., a kill in volleyball, he performs a flamboyant celebration that includes flipping his hair, blowing air kisses, strutting about the court, bopping his head, and waving, among other things. And given that he has the second-most kills on the team (132) for the Matadors, who have a 12-12 record this season, that tends to happen quite often.

Not just during kills, because Lucas happens to be excellent at multiple aspects of the game, including service (sixth on the team in aces with 14) and ranks third for points won (146). He’s been doing that for years, including during his two-season spell at Grand Canyon University. Lucas then transferred to CSUN, took a break from volleyball, and returned, even playing with the Philippines National Men’s Volleyball Team for a spell.

Even then, his celebrations never left, although it turns out that with age comes wisdom, as Jordan Lucas revealed that when he was a teenager, around 14 or 15, the celebrations were even more flamboyant.

“They were a lot more animated when I was younger,” Lucas explained. “When I was playing club volleyball, a lot of people admired it and thought it was different in the sport. It used to be a full wrap-around clap when I was 14 or 15.”

During their recent contest between Cal State Northridge and UC-Irvine, Brande watched Lucas celebrate after a play, which led him to make a rather pointed comment.

“I’m amazed Jordan Lucas hasn’t been popped by somebody,” Brande said, as per OutSport. “The antics he’s making under the net, it’s very distasteful.”

Not quite what anyone expected Brande to say, especially about an openly gay volleyball player, and it stunned onlookers, with nearly 100,000 fans coming out in support of Jordan since then. But that was the exception for the Big West Conference, which released an official statement a few days after the incident.

Big West Conference weighs in on Brande’s comments about Jordan Lucas

After the aforementioned wave of support for Jordan Lucas, which kicked off with a video released a few days after the game. Because after all, his impressive talent, leaping ability, and flamboyance on the court are exactly what made Jordan Lucas go viral.

That was after volleyball influencer Sally Deng edited and stitched together some of Lucas’ highlights and posted the video across social media. The video has since garnered over 25 million views, with many in awe of the Matador junior’s talent and flamboyance while condemning Brande’s comment. In the aftermath, the Big West Conference released a statement about the incident.

“The Big West has been made aware of the comments made during the CSUN/UC Irvine men’s volleyball broadcast last Thursday,” the conference wrote on X. “We categorically condemn these specific comments as well as anything in this vein made to denigrate any individuals.

“We stand with CSUN men’s volleyball student-athlete Jordan Lucas and all student-athletes in their rights to compete, celebrate and express themselves in a way that is authentic to them providing they are not engaging in unsporting behavior.”

They weren’t the only ones: the day after the game, Charlie Brande also released a statement about his words and apologised to Jordan Lucas.

“I’d like to publicly apologize for my comment on the UC IRVINE VS CSUN Broadcast, Thursday, April 9,” Charlie Brande wrote in an Instagram post. “Most importantly, I apologize to Jordan, I whole-heartedly regret my comment towards him. I take full accountability for my comment and the damage it may have caused. Violence should never be acceptable or tolerated.

“I have spent my life promoting the game of volleyball and regret any harm to the sport or the people that play it. I will learn from this and work to do better.”

Yet for Jordan Lucas, nothing has changed, as the CSUN star asserted in the interview with OutSport that he won’t stop celebrating and will continue making his own impact on the sport. For now, however, their focus will shift to their road trip to Hawai’i, followed by a return to UC-Irvine for a rematch, as they hope to make the NCAA tournament.