Capstones
Graduation Date
Fall 12-15-2023
Grading Professor
Alia Malek
Subject Concentration
International
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
At Cancha Chavelita (Chavelita Court) in the Bronx, New York, generations of Ecuadorean women have come together to play ecuavoley, a male-dominated sport from Ecuador. Ironically, the court however happens to also be one of the few run by a woman, Chavelita herself. As the women embrace the sport, they’ve become more than just teammates on the court. The capstone project also documents the history of ecuavoley femenino (female ecuavoley) in Ecuador with an in-depth podcast featuring Mercedes (Meche) Mena, a professional ecuavoley player. A third component of the project also explores the rise of ecuavoley femenino on the internet in both Ecuador in New York.
The full project can be viewed at the link below:
https://marianamartinez430.wixsite.com/capstone
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Mariana, "The Matriarchs of ecuavoley femenino" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/689
Generations of women gather around Chavelita (center in plaid), Cancha Chavelita’s namesake and unofficial manager. October 1, 2023. Bronx, New York. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Jenny Alvarado, Blanca Barbecho, and Rosa Alvarado pose between plays. Bronx, New York. October 1, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Rosa Alvarado hits the ball with “gancho,” a forceful technique used in ecuavoley. Bronx, New York. October 1, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Dahiana Paulino started the Whatsapp group “Las Chicas del Voly Chavelita” to motivate women who frequented the court to play ecuavoley. Bronx, New York. October 1, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Action shot of ecuavoley at Cancha Chavelita in the Bronx, New York. November 19, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Dahiana Paulino prepares to serve the ball. Bronx, New York. October 1, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Rosa Alvarado plays on a Sunday afternoon. Bronx, New York. October 1, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
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Dahiana Paulino and Blanca Barbecho pose as “friendly rivals.” Bronx, New York. November 19, 2023. Photo Credit: Mariana Martínez Barba
AUDIO_Martinez_Mariana.mp3 (48372 kB)
In this podcast, I'm joined by Mercedes (Meche) Mena, a professional ecuavoley player, to have a conversation about the story and impact of women's ecuavoley in Ecuador and the United States.