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Controversy over transgender player overshadowed women's volleyball season at San Jose State
Last week, a class action lawsuit was filed against the San Jose State and the NCAA calling for transgender women to be ineligible to play women’s sports.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State University women’s volleyball team played its last, regular season home game Tuesday night after a season of controversy over a transgender teammate. Last week, a class action lawsuit was filed against San Jose State and the NCAA calling for transgender women to be ineligible to play women’s sports.
With a few hundred people in attendance, San Jose State took on the Fresno State Bulldogs for its last regular-season home game. University officials said the crowd was double its usual size.
"She’s a volleyball player, and she’s here to see the team and her coach is here inside, so she’s excited to see some high-level volleyball," said Derek Liu, of San Jose.
The Spartans’ season was overshadowed by controversy involving a transgender female athlete playing on the team. One fan said he supports his teenage daughter who plays volleyball, and he supports everyone else who wants to play.
"It’s unfortunate that it’s happening in the team internally aside from everything that’s going on outside the team, but I think everybody deserves a chance to play," Liu said.
Six matches against San Jose State were forfeited by other schools this season, including Boise State, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah State and Southern Utah. One fan at Tuesday night’s game showed support and held a sign that said ‘BLOCK OUT THE HATERS’. KTVU spoke to another fan who held a sign that read ‘STOP GASLIGHTING WOMEN & GIRLS’.
"I’ve known a lot of women and girls who’ve had their character and confidence built by sporting achievement. I think they deserve a fair playing field," said Blake, of Fresno.
Last week, 12 people, including a San Jose State player, filed a class action lawsuit in Colorado against the NCAA, San Jose State and other schools, claiming transgender women should not be allowed to play on women’s teams. Advocates on each side of the issue are also weighing in.
"Obviously, San Jose State’s volleyball team is doing well and how dare they have a trans woman be part of that? That’s where this attitude comes from," said Gabrielle Antolovich, Board President at the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Center in San Jose.
"At the end of the day, two different people. They are biologically very different, and we need to protect female sports," said Sophia Lorey, with the California Family Council.
We reached out to San Jose State regarding the lawsuit filed last week and they confirmed they received the complaint. They say they’ll review it and respond appropriately.
San Jose State lost to Fresno State 3 sets to 2.
Revelation of San Jose State trans volleyball player sparks forfeits from opponents
San Jose State University officials said via an emailed statement, that the school is in-line with Mountain West and NCAA rules relating to the participation of a reportedly trans athlete on the school's women's volleyball team. So far, three schools have declined to compete against SJSU, instead having the matches either listed as cancelations or forfeitures.