This summer marked the 12th

anniversary of DIVA’s summer

league. DIVA’s indoor summer

league first started in the

summer of 2003 with 12 teams

playing on Tuesdays and

Wednesday nights at Polk Rec

Center.

Summer started off with a bang

with this year with approximately

40 new members playing in the

league.

Remember that any new member

that you recruit for the fall

season will entitle you to 10 DIVA

dollars which may be used for

Summer 2015 , Issue 1 Friday, 17 July 2015

DALLAS INDEPENDENT VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION

Summer Diva

Turns 12!

2015 Board Members

Ruben Viveros President

Mike Gonzalez VP Administration

Joel Smith VP Membership Donny Perry

Secretary Ben Leiwant

Treasurer Michael Rogers

Registrar Austin Whitehead Elite Representative

Brian Borski Advanced Representative

Jeff Slack Competitive Representative

Josh Cunningham Intermediate Representative

Alex Butler Recreational Representative

Adam Cebulski Marketing & Communications

Director Josh Addison

Evaluation Chair Daniel Dwyer

Skill Chair Mai Valentine

Miss DIVA 2015

On the 26 June 2015 in a historic deci-

sion the Supreme Court of the United

States approved same sex marriages.

Widespread celebrations occurred

across the United States and the

Whitehouse was lit in rainbow colors.

Following the announcement, longtime

DIVA member Frank Pournelle and his

partner, Tigernan Douglas Quinn, were

among the first couples to marry at the

Dallas County Courthouse.

DIVA member, Larry Carter, will marry

his longtime partner, Brent Caffee, on

the 19 July 2015.

Gay Divorce Services

Chris L. has announced his intention of

handling gay divorce cases in the near

future. Chris stated, “If I can get the

business of just that one couple (or not

couple) in the advanced division I can

retire in five years. They have had more

break ups on Facebook than any mar-

ried couple I know.

Competitive member and Vice President

of DIVA, Mike Gonzalez, was recogi-

nized as the official BOTM (Bear of the

Month) of the Eagle for the month of

June.

P A G E 2

Frank Pournell and his new husband, Tigernan (Quinn) Pournelle.

in this marriage will

definitely not be wear-

ing white.

Founding member and former Presi-

dent of DIVA, Jeff Sappenfield has an-

nounced his engagement to his long-

time partner, Rick Iber. Their marriage is

to take place 1 Aug 2015 in a sunrise

service in Seattle,

Washington. Ronnie

Roese, another

founding member,

and his partner Mau-

rice Winters are the

best men. The bride

L’amour, l’amour, toujours

l’amour!

Botm or Bottom?

Founding Member of DIVA

Same Sex marriage Approved

P A G E 3

Advanced Captains Spring 2015

Competitive Captains Spring 2015

David Lear, Nelson Eason, Jeff Slack, Dale Saville, Mike Gonzalez, Bill Craig, Michael Rodriguez, Johnnie Brown,

Jack Angier, Mark Porter, Benjamin Zuniga, James MacCormack, Eric Ho, “Big Daddy” Joel Smith

Iris Hopkins, Mathew La, Diego Rojas, Brian Massey, Sebastian Chinno, Adam Robert, Jean-Carlo Merel Ibanez,

Moki Bear, Junior Garcia, Alan Clement and Brian Wheeler .

Recreation Captains Power/Open Captains Spring 2015

Aaron Light, Thiago Cabral, Lam Nguyen, Drew Riffe

Elite Division Formed

This spring the membership voted to combine the Power and

Open Divisions into a new division. The new division will be called

Elite. Members of DIVA have already begun

calling it “da Elite Division … or D’elite for

short.”

Elite Division Rep Appointed

Congratulations to Austin Whitehead who was

appointed as the new rep of the Elite Divi-

sion.

Andrew Paul, Jay Treinen, Bryce Summers, John Martinez, Larry Carter,

Ryan Ard, Jeff Roark, Kenny Clymer, Rudy Rodriguez, Heath Barnes

Love in a Hopeless Place Seminar Announced!

Nita Perry Malone Rodriguez, wife of former Intermediate Rep, Rudy Rodri-

guez, is offering a seminar to the members in DIVA this fall entitled, “We

Found Love in a Hopeless Place … You Too Can Find True Love”. Spots in

this seminar are filling up quickly so get your reservation in early.

Nita met Rudy at DIVA and was engaged to him on 16 Nov 2013. They

were married on 17 May 2014. This is the first straight couple to meet and

get married in DIVA. Single DIVA’s there is hope for you too!

Intermediate Captains Spring 2015

Recreational Captains

News from the Recreational Division

Alice P.W., sister of Nita Perry Rodriguez, announced

that she is available for dating (men that is). Alice

was heard to say, “If my sister can find a straight man

in DIVA to marry, then so can I”

Recreational practices will not be combined with In-

termediate practices later in the season.

L-R, Matt Ryan (of Intermediate standing in for Running Bear), Alex Butler, Mitch Howard, Grant Schirpik

Landmarks in DIVA

Iris Hopkins (Secretary), who became secretary of DI-

VA in 2014 became the first woman to serve on the

board since Joan Scott (Recreation Rep) stepped

down in the spring of 2008.

Rudy Rodriguez (Intermediate Rep) became the first

straight man to serve on the Board of Directors when

he became the Intermediate Rep in January of 2015.

The appointment of Rudy to the board made it the

first time in DIVA history that two straight members

served on the board concurrently.

In another first Rudy Rodriguez and Nita Perry Ward

became the first straight couple to meet in DIVA and

get married.

7 Dec 2013: For the first time in DIVA’s 24 year histo-

ry, the End of the Season Tournament was cancelled

due to an ice storm and freezing conditions.

Ca 1998: The first DIVA mascot was a chicken brought

to the games by Steve Wilson, for his team, “The

Chicken Hawks.” Steve would bring her to the games

in her cage. I don’t know what happened to that

mascot, however we had chicken and dumplings after

our last game.

Longtime DIVA members,

Art Salinas (member since

1993)and Alf Dang, pit-

ted their teams against

each other in the finals.

Alf’s team led with cheers

of “YMCGAY,” No Baby”

and “Don’t Touch, Ebola”.

Andres Casanova pirouet-

ted and leaped across the

courts trying to distract

the Double Dutch Boys to

no avail.

2015 Summer Indoor Tournament 1st place: Team 17 Double Dutch Boys

Keko Viza, Dan Dubree, Randy Boberg, Randal Buda, Hok Vuong, Art Salinas

2015 Summer Indoor Tournament 2nd place: YMCGAY

Martin “Martini” Lemus, Eric Ho, Andres Casanova, Bryce Summer, Miguel Espinoza,

Colby Parker, Alf Dang

2015 Summer Indoor Tournament 3rd place: Team 12 Hot Stuff!

Gordon Pun, Emmie Lucena, Josh Pool, John Michael Melendez Casellas,

Vincent Battles, Donny Perry

2015 Summer Indoor Tournament All-Stars

Randy Boberg, John Michael Melendez Casellas, Miguel Espinoza (MVP),

Andres Casanova, (not pictured) David Olarte, Kelsey Richerson

Miss DIVA 2015

Mai Valentine

Miss DIVA 2015

Mai Valentine

Miss DIVA 2014

KyKy LeChic