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 As soon as editor Steve called me with this week’s
assignment, I started hearing the voices, “Bump...set...spike. Bump...
set...spike.” The voices were those of my high school and college
volleyball coaches who incessantly repeated “bump... set...spike”
until you just wanted to take the volleyball and ... Well, let’s just
say I was a good little lesbian and never did what I was tempted to do
with that volleyball. At this point you’re probably wondering why I’m
telling you about my high school and college volleyball days. Well, the
answer is simple. Sunday, September 3rd, you’ll be able to see some of
the finest, if not the prettiest, volleyball players on Delmarva right on
the beach in Rehoboth. I’m talking, of course, about the 12th Annual
Drag Volleyball Game to be played on Poodle Beach at the extreme south end
of Rehoboth’s boardwalk.
Now mind you, this will not in any way, shape or form, be a
regulation game of volleyball. However it will be far more entertaining, I
can assure you. Let me set the scene. Imagine 18 gay men, all dressed in
drag, sashaying onto the beach with entrance music blaring in the
background and thousands of people cheering. The “volleyball queens”
as they like to be called, have been practicing and waiting for this
moment since last year.
The 18 VQs are broken down into two teams, nine players on
each team. Rich (Wend-E) Fennell is the captain of one team this year. The
second team has co-captains, Brent (Barbara Ann) Minor and Mark (Myrna)
Kimble. Each team will also have a theme and players will be dressed
appropriately. Now, I realize you’re sitting on the edge of your futon
just waiting for me to announce this year’s theme. Drum roll,
please—this year’s theme is “Great Queens Past and Present.”
“Usually the theme is kept secret so that each team can try
to outdo the other as far as costumes go,” said Randy Marshall,
co-chairman of the event. “But this year, both teams chose the same
theme, so it’s not a secret,” he continued.
Marshall would not go into any detail about specific
costumes, but he did tell me that the team he plays on would be doing so
barefoot.
“High-heels can do so much damage to your legs when worn in
the sand,” laughed Marshall.
“Past themes have included the VQs dressed as Navy Waves,
different Dorothys from the Wizard of Oz, French maids, the Dallas Cowboy
Cheerleaders, Hawaiian princesses, TV and Hollywood movie stars, cartoon
characters, Madonnas and Nuns who halfway through the game changed outfits
and became Hookers of all things,” explained Marshall.
Marshall went on to say that, “Drag volleyball evolved from
queens in drag and a boom-box on the beach to the production it is today.
”Besides the VQs looking lovely as ever, we have a huge
sound system and the players will be performing skits, singing songs,
doing cheers and oh yeah, playing volleyball,” he said. “We also like to get the crowd involved as much as
possible... some spectators that have been coming to the game for years
even carry signs to cheer on their favorite team or player(s),” added
Marshall.
I mentioned earlier that the annual drag volleyball isn’t
really a regulation game of volleyball. I said that because basically
there aren’t too many rules as Marshall explained to me.
“We play out of bounds and there are only three hits to a
side, both as in regulation volleyball,” said Marshall. “But basically
we just yell, ‘get the damn ball over the net,’ and there’s a lot of
slappage going on,” he continued.
Marshall also added that, “We definitely keep the game
friendly...we’re all friends...although each team’s motto is to beat
the crap out of the other.”
I was just thinking. Can you imagine a game of volleyball
being played between two teams of lesbians instead of drag queens? Instead
of the game being stopped for a VQ breaking a nail you’d probably hear
phrases like, “move aside babe, it’s MY ball,” “put the Lowe’s
circular down, take that damn tool belt off and let’s play ball.” No
offense ladies—but you know how competitive we are.
I do want to mention that the official game score will be
kept by co-chairman Tommy Gibson. The first team to score 15 points wins.
A team however, does have to win by two points. Example: if the score is
15-14, the game goes on.
The Marshall-Gibson’s agree that drag volleyball is much
fancier today than it was 12 years ago.
“Each team not only wants to win the game, but they also
want to win the best costume and the best songs and skits,” said
Marshall.
It’s the simple things in life that make drag queens happy
I guess.
Just so that you have all the details (I hope to see everyone
there), the 12th Annual Drag Volleyball Game is set for Sunday, September
3rd on Poodle Beach beginning at 1 p.m. And the best part is that the game
will be played rain or shine. In fact, Marshall told me that the teams
have only had the opportunity to play in sunshine twice in the last 13
years. What dedication!
So, God, if you’re listening, and I know you are, here’s
my prayer, “How about a little sunshine for the volleyball queens next
Sunday? They may not be straight, but they sure are pretty and could use a
little sun to make their game fun. AMEN.”
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