Anthony Ka’aiwaihia-Ebanez has been shaking up the league this season as the Texas Tyrants now see themselves behind Vegas Ramblers in second place of the American Conference. Before his entrance into the NVA, Anthony, better known as Beyonce, has been a hot commodity in many volleyball leagues, including the North American Gay Volleyball Association (NAGVA) and USAV Adult Club Tournaments. With her wild whip of an arm and aggressive plays at the net and on defense, Anthony has become one of the most sensational products to come from Waianae, Hawaii.
Completing the regular season, Anthony has been ranked as the league’s best OH2 in the NVA Dream Team by DataVolley, based on his overall statistical performance. Placed alongside other players such as the Vegas Ramblers Brandon Rattray, who is ranked as the league’s best OH1, Anthony is the only Tyrant to have made the team selection. Beyonce is also the first and only openly LGBTQ+ player to have made the dream team so far in the NVA!
The accolade is not unfamiliar for Anthony as the Graceland Alumni has been a 3x All-American during his career in the NAIA. Much of her success comes from killer instincts and a fierce competitive spirit that she feels every young player should use to their advantage no matter what competition they face.
“You have to be unapologetic about who you are and shove it into other team’s faces. I love it when I’m ‘Queening Out’ on the court as it not only breaks opponents down when we win the point. Especially when you get your team to back you up, that’s when you’ll start to make a huge impact on the game. -Anthony “Beyonce” Ka’aiwaihia-Ebanez
Make sure to catch Anthony in action as the Tyrants make their push into the playoffs! They will be taking on the OC Stunners for the first elimination match of the NVA Championship starting July 9th. So go ahead and give Anthony (@omgitstonyy), Texas Tyrants (@texastyrants), and the NVA (@nvausa) a follow on Instagram to stay up with the team and catch highlight clips from Event 3.
Happy PRIDE Month, Everyone!