A season of protests, forfeits and lawsuits ended quietly on the volleyball court Saturday, with San José State losing the final of the Mountain West Conference women’s tournament to Colorado State.
The loss prevented San José State from claiming the conference’s automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament, which could have added to the controversy surrounding the team’s transgender player. Instead, top-seeded Colorado State earned the automatic bid by winning in four sets.
Fewer than 200 spectators attended the game at UNLV, and the fans were respectful and cheered on each player during pregame introductions and during the action. Players cheered each other on throughout the game and exchanged hugs when the game was over.
The only bit of political activity came when Colorado State star player Malaya Jones and teammates Kennedy Stanford and Naeemah Weathers knelt during the national anthem. Colorado State coach Emily Kohan told reporters that the players had been kneeling before games since 2020.
“They have been kneeling since their freshman year when the Black Lives Matter movement was happening, and in this program we are bringing together critical thinkers to make decisions about what is important to them,” Kohan said. “And for those three, they are black players, and it has been important to them for five years. And they’ve stood their ground saying this is something they believe in, and we’ve all supported them.”
Read more: Trump points to the San Jose State volleyball player and promises to ban transgender athletes
The focus on volleyball and sportsmanship was a welcome change from a rollercoaster season in which four Mountain West teams – Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada-Reno – each opted to forfeit or cancel two conference games at San Jose State. Boise State also forfeited the conference tournament semifinals to the second-seeded Spartans, who had a first-round bye and played only one game in the tournament.
The transgender player has been on the San Jose State roster for three seasons after transferring from an East Coast university, although this is the first season that opponents have protested the player’s inclusion. The player is not being named by The Times because he has not publicly identified as transgender.
The issue became public when San Jose State co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA in September filed by former All-American swimmer and anti-trans athlete activist Riley Gaines. The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA’s transgender eligibility policy violates Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Slusser claims in the lawsuit that the inclusion of a transgender player poses an unfair advantage and safety risks.
The NCAA adopted new rules a year ago regarding transgender athletes, who must document sport-specific testosterone levels at the start of their season and six months later. They must also document testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections.
“We stand steadfast in our support of transgender student-athletes and promoting fairness in college sports,” said John DeGioia, chairman of the NCAA Board of Governors and president of Georgetown. “It is important that NCAA member schools, conferences and college athletes compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment and can move forward with a clear understanding of the new policies.”
Read more: San Jose State volleyball player at the center of transgender lawsuit can play rules
Nevertheless, the schools that have forfeited volleyball matches have lost the support of politicians in their states. Idaho’s Republican Governor Brad Little recently signed an executive order banning sports teams at Boise State and other public schools in the state from playing against teams with transgender athletes.
San Jose State had to put the season together against opponents who wanted to play. The state of Colorado was one of them.
“Our team played with heart and soul today, as they have all season,” San Jose State coach Todd Kress said in a statement after the conference tournament loss. “This has been one of the most difficult seasons I have ever experienced and I know this is also true for many of our players and staff who have supported us throughout. Maintaining our focus on the pitch and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities.”
Slusser, San José State head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose and 10 other current and former players filed another lawsuit on Nov. 13 seeking to have the transgender player removed before the conference tournament. They argued that her participation violated Title IX rights for gender equality in federally funded institutions. But last Monday, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, and a day later another judge rejected Slusser’s appeal.
Read more: Four opponents forfeit volleyball matches to San Jose State to protest transgender players
The transgender player took the field with Slusser and San Jose State was defeated, ending a turbulent season that Kress said also included attacks on social media.
“Our team prepared and was ready to play every game according to the established Mountain West and NCAA rules,” Kress said in his statement. “We have not deprived anyone of the opportunity to participate. Unfortunately, others who have played against the same team for years without incident have chosen not to play against us this season.
“To be clear, we did not celebrate any wins by forfeit. Instead, we brace ourselves for the consequences. Each forfeit announcement unleashed horrible, hateful messages that individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff and many associated with our program.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
