College volleyball team embroiled in trans athlete controversy reaches tournament after six forfeit wins
University of Nevada Reno volleyball captain Sia Liilii on the fight for fairness in women's sports as San Jose State University reaches the playoffs due to teams forfeiting matches to avoid facing their transgender team member.
Las Vegas is set to host one of the most controversial women's college volleyball tournaments in the sport's history this week.
This year's Mountain West Tournament will feature San Jose State trans athlete Blaire Fleming, and multiple teams that have already forfeited to the Spartans this season amid a national controversy over Fleming's presence.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo condemned the notion of trans athletes competing against women just days before Fleming will likely compete in his state under a national spotlight.
Lombardo released a statement on Wednesday saying he believes that student athletes should "only compete with and against members of the same biological sex."
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Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo speaks during a news conference after the country music festival mass shooting on Oct. 4, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
"Every student, regardless of gender, is entitled to fair and safe competition in high school and collegiate sports. For the well-being of students and the integrity of competition, I believe students should only compete with and against members of the same biological sex," Lombardo said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"As a father of two daughters, I firmly believe in protecting the sanctity of women's sports. Despite attempts to politicize this issue, my philosophy is simple: women should participate in women's sports and men should participate in men's sports. No matter what sports team a student plays on or what extracurricular activities a student participates in, every student deserves to be treated with the utmost kindness and respect – on and off the field, in and out of the classroom."
Lombardo previously weighed in on the San Jose State controversy when it involved women athletes at the University of Nevada, Reno in October. The university's volleyball team was scheduled to play San Jose State's on Oct. 26, but Nevada players told their athletic department that they didn't want to compete against Fleming.
However, the university initially did not respect the players' wishes, and publicly stated its intention to proceed with the match against San Jose State. A Nevada spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the university was doing this to avoid violating Democratiic-passed state law that prevents trans discrimination.
Lombardo praised the players for taking a stand in a statement on Oct. 15.
"As I’ve said previously, I believe there are competition and safety concerns with this issue, and it’s irresponsible for the NCAA to put student athletes in a position of balancing their personal safety against the schools, competition and sports they love," Lombardo’s statement read.
"The student athletes at the University of Nevada, Reno have determined that they do not want to play against San Jose State, and I wholeheartedly respect the decision of the players. No student athlete should ever be pressured to play a game where they don’t feel safe – period. The NCAA has a responsibility to address this issue in a consistent way that protects the integrity of women’s sports and the student athletes who participate."
The players then spoke out publicly and alleged the university was pressuring them to compete against the Spartans. Nevada then officially forfeited the match the day before it was set to be played, claiming it didn't have enough players to compete.
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Blaire Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans attempts to block a shot during the Air Force Falcons match on Oct. 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Four other teams, including three conference rivals, forfeited games against San Jose State this season. Those forfeits yielded the Spartans six additional conference wins, as it ended up earning the No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament and a first-round bye.
Now, San Jose State is guaranteed to face a team that previously forfeited to them in the semifinal round of the tournament. Utah State and Boise State, which each refused to face the Spartans, will face off in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night for the right to advance to the semifinals.
A San Jose State spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the conference is currently preparing for all teams and players that qualified for the tournament to compete, but it has a plan in the event of forfeits. That plan includes a willingness to recognize San Jose State as the conference champion if its opponents forfeit en route to a victory in the final.
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