The San Jose State volleyball team is now guaranteed to play a team it has already eliminated during the regular season in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament.
San Jose State has had six of its conference wins this season come by forfeit games amid a national controversy over transgender players on the team. With these wins, the team finished with a conference record of 12 wins and 6 losses, earning them a first-round bye for the next tournament.
This ensured a place in the semi-finals. And it is certain that the opponent they will face in that game will be one of the four teams that refused to play against them in the regular season. Utah State and Boise State are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals, which will determine who will face the Spartans in the next round.
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Blair Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans reacts during an Air Force Falcons game on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Webbers/Getty Images)
Boise State was reluctant to play San Jose State during the regular season, so they forfeited two scheduled games against the Spartans and suffered two losses in the conference. Meanwhile, Utah State, which only forfeited one game, is seeking to recover that loss by joining a lawsuit against the Mountain West over Fleming's presence.
On the other side of the bracket, Colorado State holds the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Colorado State played both games against San Jose State this year, with both teams splitting the series. Fresno State and San Diego State, two other teams that faced the Spartans amid controversy this year, will meet in the quarterfinals for the right to play Colorado State.
But with the current setup, there is always some uncertainty in the San Jose State semifinals, regardless of which team advances to that round.
SJSU women's volleyball's first opponent didn't know about Transn, suggesting the match never happened
Blair Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans attacks the net against the Air Force Falcons on Oct. 19, 2024, at Falcon Court in the East Gym in Colorado Springs. (Andrew Webbers/Getty Images)
Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser, who has filed two lawsuits over the presence of transgender teammate Blair Fleming, previously told FOX News Digital that her team will not play in their next tournament matchup. They said they didn't even know if their opponents would play against them.
“Our biggest question is, if we go there, will teams play us? Because of everything that's happened this season. '' Slusser said. “Every few days it seems like the weather gets better and everything goes normally and then something happens. So I really think everyone is just taking things day by day and taking the punches that come. ”
A Mountain West spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the conference is preparing for San Jose State and all opponents to play, but also has plans in place in the event of a forfeit. he said. The plan includes the intention to honor the winner of the conference final if that game's theoretical opponent is eliminated, the spokesperson said.
“If there is a championship game, and it’s San Jose State and whichever team they play, and that school forfeits the game, if San Jose State wins that game, they will be the tournament champions. They will automatically be eliminated from qualifying in the “Mountain West,'' the spokesperson said.
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Colorado State University Police Department. Moby Arena watches from behind the San Jose State University Spartans' bench during the NCAA Mountain West women's volleyball game against the Colorado State Rams on Oct. 3, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
But that plan could change until a federal judge in Colorado rules after an emergency hearing Thursday. Judge Kato Cruz presided over the hearing after plaintiffs, including the state of Utah, objected that Fleming should not be allowed to compete in the tournament.
Cruz, who was appointed by President Biden in January, spent the first 45 minutes of the hearing discussing which pronouns to use to describe Fleming and whether Fleming's name should be used during the hearing to protect his privacy. The time was devoted to a debate between the plaintiff and the defendant regarding whether or not the matter was legal. . The judge ultimately decided to use she/her pronouns when referring to Fleming, but told others they could use their preferred pronouns.
Cruz ended the hearing by saying he intended to rule on the case “in a timely manner.” The tournament is scheduled to begin next Wednesday.
San Jose State has repeatedly defended Fleming's presence on the team.
“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 are very disappointed for them and for them that they were denied.”We are also proud of the way they have overcome these difficulties on the court. ,” a university spokesperson said in a statement provided to FOX News Digital.
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