UNR cancels volleyball match amid transgender controversy as players plan rally
The controversial volleyball match between UNR and San Jose State is officially off.
“Due to not having enough players to compete, the University of Nevada women’s volleyball team will not play its scheduled Mountain West Conference match at San José State,” UNR said in a statement late Thursday.
The statement cited Mountain West policy as it explained that the result will be recorded as a loss to UNR. It’s the fifth forfeiture to the Spartans this season.
The contest was initially scheduled to take place at noon Saturday in Reno, but both universities agreed on changing the location to San Jose on Tuesday “in the best interest of both programs.”
The Northern California move came after Wolf Pack players released their own statement last week saying they wouldn’t participate in the contest as a form of protest against the participation of transgender women in sports.
UNR responded, saying the university’s values didn’t align with the players. UNR also cited laws that prohibited the cancelling of the match, framing the action as a form of discrimination but offering support for athletes who didn’t want to play.
It’s no surprise UNR couldn’t gather the six players required to field a team. Wolf Pack volleyball captain Sia Liilii shared a social media flyer on Wednesday, promoting a rally scheduled to take place an hour after the contest was meant to start in San Jose. The event will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
Liilii was listed as a confirmed speaker, along with “a dozen UNR volleyball team members.”
“Hey NCAA & Mountain West,” the flyer read. “Women’s sports are for women only.”
‘All legal options’
Liilii is one of several players on the UNR volleyball team represented by conservative lawyer Joey Gilbert.
Gilbert forwarded a statement to the Review-Journal on Wednesday that said his firm is “carefully considering all legal options” to protect the rights and safety of Wolf Pack players.
“These athletes have expressed legitimate concerns about the fairness and physical risks of competing against a transgender player from San Jose State University,” the statement said. “Beyond this specific situation, we believe that the policies of the Mountain West Conference and SJSU may violate Title IX by allowing conditions that place female athletes at a disadvantage and jeopardize their safety.”
San Jose State co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA’s inclusion policies in September that used similar verbiage. In the filing, Slusser said she didn’t want Blaire Fleming on the team anymore based on the allegation that Fleming is transgender.
Fleming, a 6-foot-1-inch senior who has played volleyball as a girl since high school, has not spoken publicly about her gender identity — and neither has San Jose State.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said last week that the conference’s goal is to “respect both sides of the issues,” an effort she noted is dictated by NCAA and international volleyball policies.
Gilbert’s statement said that his firm is gearing up to protect the right of players in future competitions, including the Mountain West tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 27-30 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
UNR (11-11, 4-6) took a 2-3 loss at Fresno State on Thursday night. San Jose State (11-3, 6-3) is next scheduled to play Air Force on Oct. 31. The teams have already met this season, with Air Force losing 3-1 to the Spartans.
UNLV (10-10, 3-6) notched a win over San Jose State on Oct. 12 after the team voted unanimously to play all its scheduled matches this season. The Rebels will host the Spartans on Nov. 7.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
This story was updated with the new location for Saturday’s rally.