Volleyball player nearly forced to face transgender opponent cries, alleges school pressured team to compete

Players connected nan University of Nevada, Reno women's volleyball squad held a property convention Saturday to reside their school's reluctance to forfeit a lucifer against a squad pinch a transgender player. 

Alongside erstwhile NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines, aggregate players said astir nan business connected nan time they were scheduled to look San Jose State. The programme officially announced it would forfeit nan lucifer Friday owed to not having capable players, but nan players had told their diversion section they didn't want to play San Jose State weeks earlier. 

Wolf Pack squad skipper Sia Liilii collapsed down successful tears from nan infinitesimal she took nan podium while she recounted her acquisition telling schoolhouse officials she didn't want to compete against a transgender player, adding she was pressured to do truthful anyway. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"When nan news broke, I was stunned, arsenic galore of my teammates were. This is not what we signed up for," an affectional Liilii said. 

Liilii referenced a connection nan assemblage released Oct. 13, assuring nan programme intends to look San Jose State contempt players voting to forfeit.

"Our assemblage had made a determination for us. They released a connection connected our behalf saying we were going to play. We were not consulted, we were not fixed a sound and we did not agree," Liilii said. "It wounded knowing our assemblage was putting america successful a position that could perchance wounded us. My teammates and I were very emotional, and I'm not sure, I cannot put into words really it feels to look thing for illustration this and knowing that we are each connected our own." 

Nevada antecedently provided a connection to Fox News Digital confirming that nan players had requested to forfeit nan lucifer but did not person authority to do truthful themselves. 

INSIDE SAN JOSE STATE'S POLICE BATTLE TO PROTECT WOMEN'S ATHLETES THREATENED BY A TRANSGENDER CULTURE WAR

"A mostly of nan Wolf Pack women’s volleyball squad issued a connection to nan assemblage informing it that nan squad had decided it was forfeiting nan scheduled lucifer with San José State University. While players are not authorized to forfeit nan match, this determination is 1 that only nan assemblage and our section of athletics tin officially make," nan connection said. 

The assemblage added that immoderate subordinate was free to beryllium nan lucifer retired without consequences.

Liilii said Saturday that erstwhile her teammates approached schoolhouse officials expressing their desire to forfeit nan match, they were lectured astir "not knowing science" and asked to reconsider their stance. 

"We felt unsafe and dismissed," Liilii said, sobbing. "We met pinch our schoolhouse officials to springiness them our team's caller statement, but they wouldn't moreover perceive it. We were told that we weren't knowledgeable capable and that we didn't understand the science. We were told to reconsider our position." 

Nevada Wolf Pack women's volleyball players pinch Sam Brown and Tulsi Gabbard. (Sam Brown Campaign)

In summation to her university, Liilii besides called retired nan Mountain West Conference and nan NCAA, saying nan institutions "are failing us." 

Nevada sophomore Masyn Navarro alleged her teammates person been told to "stay quiet" astir nan contention during nan property conference. 

"It should not beryllium this difficult to guidelines up for women. However, we will now return this opportunity to guidelines up arsenic a team, arsenic immoderate of america person been told to enactment quiet," Navarro said. 

Nevada freshman Kinsley Singleton said her teammates had aggregate meetings successful caller weeks and shared their fears of imaginable wounded if they had to play against a transgender opponent. 

MEGAN RAPINOE DEMANDS PROTECTION FOR TRANS PEOPLE AHEAD OF ELECTION

The programme antecedently said it could not forfeit nan lucifer because it would beryllium a usurpation of authorities law. Article I, Section 24 of nan Nevada Constitution provides that "Equality of Rights nether nan rule shall not beryllium denied aliases abridged by this authorities aliases immoderate of its governmental subdivisions connected relationship of race, color, creed, sex, intersexual orientation, gender personality aliases expression, age, disability, ancestry aliases nationalist origin."

However, that constitution was revised successful 2022 erstwhile Nevada voted to adopt nan Equal Rights Amendment, which added gender personality to nan database of protections. 

Nevada authorities Sen. Pat Spearman, a Democrat from North Las Vegas who co-sponsored nan measure to get it connected nan ballot, said nan rule has helped transgender group support their identity.

"As a authorities university, a forfeiture for reasons involving gender personality aliases look could represent per se favoritism and break nan Nevada Constitution," nan university's connection said.

However, aft nan contention sewage nationalist attention, and it was announced nan lucifer was moved from Nevada to nan Bay Area successful California, nan programme yet announced an charismatic forfeit erstwhile it became clear it wouldn't person capable players to compete. 

Nevada is nan 5th squad to forfeit a lucifer against San Jose State, joining Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State. The cancellations travel pinch a San Jose State subordinate progressive successful a suit against nan NCAA complete being forced to compete pinch a transgender teammate who is still connected nan team.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

San Jose State subordinate Brooke Slusser joined a suit led by OutKick big and erstwhile collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines against nan NCAA complete its policies connected gender identity. Slusser joined this suit because she claims she has had to stock a court, a locker room and moreover a room connected overnight trips pinch teammate Blaire Fleming without having ever been told Fleming was a biologic male. 

Blaire Fleming, a redshirt elder astatine San Jose State University, plays arsenic an extracurricular and right-side hitter connected nan women’s volleyball team. (San Jose State University)

San Jose State responded to nan forfeit successful a connection to Fox News Digital. 

"Our athletes each comply pinch NCAA and Mountain West Conference policies, and they are eligible to play nether nan rules of those organizations. We will proceed to return measures to prioritize nan wellness and information of our students while they prosecute their earned opportunities to compete," nan connection said. 

Nevada players, including Liilii and Sierra Bernard, wrote an op-ed for Fox News Digital Friday, praising erstwhile President Trump for his stance advocating for a prohibition connected transgender athletes successful women's sports. 

"President Trump has our back, and this predetermination is much important than authorities but about leaders who will be standing with women on and off nan court, defending our correct to compete safely and fairly," nan players wrote. "As proud female athletes, we will proceed to fight for fairness on nan court and in women’s sports. But it shouldn’t be a fight we person to take on alone."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.