SJSU Volleyball Faces Another Hurdle in Trans Athlete Controversy as Nevada Players Go Against University’s Statement

It’s like Lemony Snicket is writing SJSU volleyball’s 2024/25 season script! The row that began in May continues to cast a long shadow on the Spartans’ ongoing season and it looks like it’s not about to end anytime soon. The floodgates opened by Riley Gaines and Southern Utah earlier this year have invited a long line of teams refusing to take on San Jose State University in the Mountain West Athletic Conference. And now, another team has joined the list.

The inclusion of Blaire Fleming in the women’s volleyball team is attracting criticism from several fronts even now. While folks over SJSU keep claiming that her physical attributes aren’t affected by the fact of her being a trans athlete, it seems like the Spartans’ opponents have their own views on the matter. And they aren’t about to give SJSU any respite just yet.

SJSU volleyball met with another adverse decision

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Nevada was slated to lock horns with SJSU on October 26. Amidst the whirlpool that’s raging across the volleyball scene in the USA, Nevada’s athletic department promised to not back away from the match. But it seems like they may have not really given the issue much thought before commenting on it. According to an article by OutKick from October 14, the members of the Wolf Pack have taken a very different stance than what the college had previously stated.

As per the recent article, the Nevada women’s volleyball players held a vote amongst themselves and decided to forfeit their upcoming match against SJSU. “We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University,” reads the official decision of the team. Sia Liilii, co-captain of Nevada, claimed that the statement by the university did not reflect the team’s views. “The school released that statement without consulting our team at all,” she said.

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“We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” reads the exclusive statement of the team. Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines extended her support to the Nevada team. “I applaud these athletes for setting boundaries and prioritizing their safety over victory,” said Gaines, lauding the girls for showing courage and taking a stand. With that, Nevada just added more salt to SJSU’s wounds.

The great divide reigns over the collegiate volleyball scene

“The people choosing not to play us, and that’s very unfortunate,” San Jose State University volleyball head coach Todd Kress said after four more teams joined Southern Utah in forfeiting matches against his team. And his woes aren’t about to end. When Colorado State swept the Spartans in early October, after the latter’s stellar 9-match winning streak, Kress was hopeful that it would be enough to show the world that having a trans player among their ranks doesn’t affect the team’s overall performance. He even wanted to thank Colorado’s head coach for helping show the critics that their allegations were baseless.

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Only recently, Kress once again claimed that the backlash that’s been extended toward his team is adversely affecting the SJSU volleyball stars. “There have been outside forces who have sought to divide our team, our university, our conference and our sport. I know it’s been weighing on the players in our locker room who have put in years of hard work,” he was heard saying about the saddening situation. However, his positive outlook isn’t a reflection of the general mindset of the fans in the country at the moment. But what is your view on the issue that’s dividing the nation for months? Share your thoughts with us with a comment.

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