San Jose State’s volleyball team, which received six forfeit victories because of boycotts from Mountain West opponents, is seeded second in the conference tournament in Las Vegas and will receive a first-round bye.
The Spartans are scheduled to play in Friday’s semifinals against the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal match between No. 3 seed Utah State and No. 6 Boise State. Both schools forfeited to the Spartans during the regular season, so it’s unclear if the winner would take the floor on Friday.
Should either team sit out, San Jose State would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State in Saturday’s championship. All three teams played the Spartans this season.
Mountain West members Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada as well as Southern Utah canceled games this season against the Spartans. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details.
A lawsuit was recently filed in Colorado by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials calling for a Spartans player not to be allowed participation in the tournament, citing unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her.
While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request.
Wyoming and Nevada did not qualify for the tournament.
Participation of transgender women in women’s sports is apparently why the five teams canceled their games against San Jose State, and the topic became a hot political topic ahead of the recent election.
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