A college volleyball player who refused to play against biologically male players shares his story in a new documentary, premiering on Fox News Digital.
Thea Lilly, team captain of the University of Nevada, Reno's women's volleyball team, learned that the university had a biological male player who was identified as transgender, and she and a teammate at San Jose State University. In October, he refused to participate in a scheduled game against the United States, which made headlines across the United States. team.
During the preseason, Lilly came across a video circulating online of a San Jose player hitting a ball that was “undefendable and, frankly, a safety concern for a lot of us.” I was blindsided,” he said.
“Sixteen of the 17 of us have already pretty much made up our minds and said, 'Hey, this is wrong. We're going to take a firm stand,'” Lillie said of IW Features. It is stated inside.hold the line. ”
Thea Lilly tells her story in IW Features' “Hold the Line.” (IW Features, Independent Women's Project)
Nevada volleyball player pressured to play with SJSU trans player due to 'legal issues' in feud with school
A few weeks before the game, Lilly's team decided to forfeit its game against San Jose State, which was scheduled for Oct. 26.
However, when the team brought their concerns to the athletic director, Rihli claimed their decision was not upheld.
“We were told we weren't educated enough on this issue,” she says. “That was something we didn’t yet understand, so it meant we needed to rethink our positioning on what we were doing.”
“Our coaches have supported us and made it clear that they support us in the decisions we have made…but many of our schools “I don’t feel like we were fully supported or supported by university officials,” she added.
A student leads demonstrators in Knoxville, Tennessee, protesting the state's ban on transgender athletes in 2022. ((Saul Young/Knoxville News Sentinel/USA Today))
The university sent a statement to Fox News Digital denying that the players were told they were “not adequately educated on this matter.”
“The University of Nevada Director of Athletics and Vice Director of Athletics met with the Nevada State Volleyball team and coaching staff on October 7, 2024, giving all teams in attendance an opportunity to share their feelings about the situation, ask questions, and provide input.” “We have been given the opportunity to take the next step and provide resources,” the statement said. “The team was not told by the Director of Athletics or Vice Director of Athletics that they were not adequately educated on this matter during these meetings. On October 14, 2024 and October 22, 2024, the Director of Athletics , spoke to teams for less money.''Each event lasted less than five minutes, and those gatherings were essentially functional. ”
University administrators said they told the team they could not forfeit a game “for reasons related to gender identity or expression,” as that would violate the state constitution.
The day before the game, the school officially announced that the game would be canceled due to a lack of players willing to play against San Jose State.
Nevada became the fifth team to cancel its game against San Jose State, joining Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State, which officially canceled their scheduled game against Cal.
SJSU Transgender Volleyball Scandal: Alleged Timeline, Political Implications, and Intensifying Cultural Movement
Nevada became the fifth team to withdraw from a game against San Jose State as the national controversy surrounding allegations of transgender players on the team continues. (AP Photo/David Zarbowski)
Lili, who grew up in Hawaii and earned a Division I scholarship to the University of Nevada in 2021, said not having support from the university was “really tough.”
“I was so scared to come out, but I don't think I would do anything different,” she said in the documentary.
Lily is now fighting back against these policies alongside other female athletes as an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum, which champions women's sport.
“Fairness and safety in women’s sports shouldn’t be up for debate, which is why we’re proud to feature the voices of Thea Lilley, McKenna Dressel, and Kinsley Singleton,” IW Features Editor-in-Chief said documentary producer Andrea Miu. said in a statement to FOX News Digital.
Thea Lilly speaks at an Independent Women's Forum event. (Independent Women's Forum)
Time is ticking for NCAA to change transgender policy and protect women's sports
“These women will not be satisfied with any more money. Governing bodies like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) need to be proactive and protect these hard-working female athletes and many others. Women's sports should be fair, focused on competition, not bending the rules for the sake of inclusivity. It's simple. Keep Sports for Women and make a change now. ” she added.
“Women's sports are only for women, and men's sports are only for men, because it gives us the opportunity to champion the sport without being dominated by the opposite sex,” Rihli said. “No one wants to be in a position where their career is at risk…If men were allowed to compete with women, women would be wiped out of the sport.”
Lilly's story comes amid a growing movement of female athletes calling for an overhaul of the NCAA's current policy allowing transgender athletes to compete on women's teams.
Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum, spearheaded the movement and last March declared the NCAA's trans athlete policy in violation of Title IX protections for female college athletes. filed a lawsuit against the NCAA.
Riley Gaines is sworn in during a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Health and Financial Services at the Capitol on December 5, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) will introduce a joint resolution this week with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) calling on the NCAA to disqualify trans athletes who compete as women. It has been announced that this is the plan.
Fox News' Jackson Thomas contributed to this article.
