San Jose State volleyball team with transgender player gets a 7th forfeited match, first since Trump’s victory

San Jose State University's women's volleyball team has been removed from its schedule for the seventh time this season, amid an ongoing national controversy over transgender players on the team.

University of Wyoming announced that it would be confiscated. The second game of the season is Friday against San Jose State. Wyoming was eliminated in the first game against the Spartans in early October. It is also the first loss to San Jose State since President Trump won the presidential election.

San Jose State responded to the forfeiture in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“All of our athletes comply with NCAA and Mountain West Conference policies and are eligible to play under the rules of those organizations. Members of our volleyball team have the right to compete. “We're very disappointed for them and for them that they were denied.”We're also proud of the way they've overcome these challenges on the court. ” said in a statement.

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In addition to canceling their game against San Jose State, Southern Utah, Utah State, Nevada and Boise State also canceled two games against the Spartans.

In Idaho, where Boise State is located, Gov. Brad Little has enacted an executive order restricting transgender participation in girls' and women's sports. Prior to Boise State's second cancellation, Little told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that he was “certain” the game would be canceled, and if it wasn't, the judges and prosecutors would He suggested that he would be involved. San Jose State claims it was subsequently notified by Bossier State that the rematch would be forfeited.

The San Jose State volleyball team is at the center of a national controversy and locker room tension. Spartans captain Brooke Slusser sued the NCAA, claiming that transgender teammate Blair Fleming shared personal space with Spartans and other players. According to court documents, Slusser claims he was not informed that Fleming was biologically male.

The team also filed a Title IX complaint and suspended assistant coach Melissa Batty-Smooth, alleging that the university favored Fleming over Slusser.

Professor Slusser told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the university's handling of the situation left her in a position where her life was threatened multiple times and she felt “unsafe” and vulnerable.

“I think everyone can tell that the people in my circle and the gym, they're not here to support me. They're here to support Blair, and they basically I decided to do whatever it took to continue to support Blair and to continue to support Blair and be there for me and my needs,'' Slusser said. “I've decided that I can't trust anyone here.”

Slusser said Battie Smooth was the only coach in the program who supported her decision to join the lawsuit and advocate for the protection of women's athletics.

Inside San Jose State Police's fight to protect female athletes under threat from transgender culture wars

“After we found out she was released, a lot of the team kind of fell apart and were kind of distraught. And even one of my teammates was like, 'I'm not safe anymore' because there's no one left now.” We feel like we can go and talk about our concerns and our actual feelings and actually speak freely in public,” Slusser said.

Slusser says it's not safe to talk to anyone else involved with the program, even head coach Todd Kress.

“You can't really voice how you feel without them trying to hide it or acting like it's okay. With Melissa, it's easy to put your feelings into words. “She's able to comfort you, acknowledge your feelings, or at least tell you how you feel,” Slusser said. “Compared to other coaches, you feel heard.” .

Slusser said she has not spoken to Fleming since joining the lawsuit. Reflecting on his interactions with Fleming before he knew the players' birth gender, Slusser said he was able to “heart-to-heart” with transgender players in a way that he would not have been able to do had he known that Fleming was biologically male. He admitted that he regrets opening the store.

Throughout the controversy, the team was assigned police protection, and the university even had to coordinate with other universities for additional police protection for the team's away games.

Fox News Digital asked San Jose State about the steps it is taking to track down the suspects who made the threats against Slusser, whether digital forensics by university police is being used or what the situation is. A series of questions were asked, including whether this was being done. Be promoted to state or federal investigator.

San Jose State University told FOX News Digital, “The university encourages students and staff to share all communications with UPD so that they can be appropriately evaluated and addressed, including working with appropriate authorities if necessary.” “I asked for it,” he said.

Colorado State University police monitor Moby Arena behind the San Jose State University Spartans bench during the NCAA Mountain West women's volleyball game between the Spartans and Colorado State Rams on October 3, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colorado. . (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

In addition to safety concerns and locker room tension, the team is also currently in limbo regarding the postseason. The upcoming Mountain West Tournament could feature multiple games between San Jose State and already forfeited programs like Wyoming.

A federal crackdown on transgender athletes in women's sports could begin after President Donald Trump's victory. President Trump has advocated for a ban on all transgender athletes from women's sports and said he would enforce the ban as president. Slusser and Little both told Fox News Digital that they support the ban.

Legislation backed by liberal politicians and Democrats in recent years has created an easier path for transgender athletes to participate in women's and women's sports, allowing parents to step in to prevent their daughters from competing against biological men. Even doing so has become difficult.

The sweeping rewrite of Title IX announced by the Biden-Harris administration in April includes proposed bills such as the Equality Act and the Transgender Bill of Rights, both sponsored and co-sponsored by Democrats, which would impose national restrictions on women's sports. It will help enable transgender participation.

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(LR) San Jose State setter celebrates scoring with libero Randylyn Reeves, outside hitter Blair Fleming and libero Alessia Buffani during the first set of an NCAA college volleyball match against Colorado State. , Brooke Slusser (October 3, 2024, Fort Collins) Coro. (AP Photo/David Zarbowski)

In deciding not to forfeit a game against San Jose State University in October, the university cited an amendment to the Nevada Constitution aimed at protecting gender identity from transgender discrimination.

Although the players asked the athletic department to cancel the game, the university refused to comply with state law. Nevada's program was forfeited the day before the game was due to take place because it did not have enough players to participate. This comes in the wake of reported disputes between players and administrators, as well as the program's venue change from Nevada to California.

However, Democrats have begun to distance themselves from their positions on transgender inclusion throughout the campaign. Representatives Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., criticized their party's stance on transgender participation in women's sports.

With President Trump set to take office in January, broader action to prevent transgender participation in women's sports could come with limited opposition from the left.

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