San Jose State Volleyball Team Concludes Challenging Season
The San Jose State University volleyball team faced a tough end to their season, losing to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which meant they would miss out on the Mountain West Tournament. The team wrapped up the season with a 13-16 record, finishing with an 8-10 tally in conference play.
Despite being expected to land in 11th place according to the preseason coaches’ poll—especially amid the controversy surrounding trans athlete Blair Fleming—the team surprised many by finishing seventh in the Mountain West.
Head coach Todd Kress had guided the team to the conference finals in the previous year, securing eight wins, including a forfeit victory in the semifinals. SJSU had also reached the finals in 2022 with Fleming, who was just beginning his time with the Spartans under former coach Trent Kersten.
The controversy involving Fleming led to two lawsuits and a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, alongside a significant player exodus that occurred during the 2024 season. At least seven players who intended to return in 2024 had entered the transfer portal after the season concluded.
This tumultuous 2024 season was marked by eight forfeited matches, a need for police protection, intense national scrutiny, and considerable discord among players and coaches.
Kress characterized the 2024 season as one of the “most difficult” he has experienced. He also holds the 21st spot in all-time wins for head coaches in NCAA women’s volleyball history. “This season has been particularly challenging, and I know many players and staff felt the same. It was essential to keep our focus on the court while ensuring our players’ safety and well-being,” Kress remarked.
Kersten, the coach who brought Fleming to SJSU from Coastal Carolina, resigned after the 2022 season, leading to Kress’s appointment. Former co-captain Brooke Slusser transferred back to SJSU from Alabama in 2023.
In September 2024, Slusser became part of a lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming that SJSU officials withheld crucial information regarding Fleming’s birth gender. She alleged that she shared changing and sleeping arrangements with Fleming unaware that he was biologically male.
In November 2024, Slusser, along with other players from the Mountain West, filed a separate lawsuit against the conference and SJSU over Fleming’s involvement, claiming implications from former players about scholarships being granted in favor of Fleming.
Assistant coach Melissa Batey-Smooth was suspended earlier that November after she filed a Title IX complaint against the university for allegedly favoring Fleming over other players. The complaint also referenced an alleged plot by Fleming to harm Slusser.
Batey-Smooth’s contract was not renewed at the end of January, prompting her to file a lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) System’s Board of Governors. Batey-Smooth maintained that SJSU afforded Fleming special treatment not extended to female athletes, saying, “Things like not attending practice without an excuse, eating in the stands during practice.”
Fleming addressed Batey-Smooth’s allegations in a social media exchange, insisting that the only time he sat in the stands without an excuse was during an injury.
Following the 2024 volleyball season, Slusser decided to leave SJSU due to frequent harassment stemming from her comments against Fleming and the program. She moved back to Texas to complete the school year remotely and is now coaching youth volleyball in North Carolina.
Fleming celebrated Slusser’s graduation from SJSU in May via social media.
The University of Nevada, Reno, which was also caught up in the controversies of the previous season, concluded the 2025 season in 11th place with an 8-20 record and 4-14 in conference play.
