U of O hosts annual Gay Ottawa Volleyball tournament
Alex Brunjes | Fulcrum Contributor
WHILE MOST OF Ottawa spent time getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day last weekend, the University of Ottawa played host to the Gay Ottawa Volleyball 2013 tournament. The Gay Ottawa Volleyball league, which has been around for 30 years, had participants travel from Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver to take part in a weekend of bumping, spiking, and, of course, volleying.
The tournament was originally established to bring teams together to promote relations between the gay volleyball communities in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal. It has since grown to include international competitors and a growing number of players. The league embraced its internationality by titling the 2013 tournament “Around the World In 80 Gays” and by acknowledging countries that have legalized gay marriage via travel pamphlets and flags.
The tournament weekend consisted of a meet-and-greet on Friday, seeding rounds and a banquet on Saturday, and a double-elimination final round on Sunday.
During the meet-and-greet, teams arrived at The Lookout Bar in the Byward Market to check in, mingle with the other players, and scope out the competition. Players then prepared for round-robin play at Montpetit Hall to determine the seeding for Sunday. To cap off a day of hard work, the 26 teams attended a banquet hosted at the Marriott Hotel and were awarded prizes for best costume, loudest player, most aggressive player, and best team.
On Sunday, the players opted out of traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to continue in a double-elimination round to determine the tournament champions. In the AA division, Ottawa-based team Money Shot walked away with the gold medal while Toronto team No Tea No Shade took home the silver medal. Former Gee-Gees club volleyball player James Munroe and his team In the P!nk won the bronze medal.
The volleyball tournament provided participants with plenty of close competition but was also a great opportunity to spend time with friends who share the love of the sport.
Although you may have missed this year’s tournament, if you’re interested in participating and/or volunteering with the Gay Ottawa Volleyball league, there are regular recreational drop-ins on Mondays, and a competitive league meets on Wednesdays.
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