UNR volleyball players speak out at rally amid transgender controversy

They were slated to play San Jose State University at noon, but became the fifth team to forfeit to the Spartans on Thursday night as part of their ongoing protest against the participation of transgender women in sports.

The rally was initially set to take place at the Little Waldorf Saloon, but was moved to the larger Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

The event was organized by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, which is funding a lawsuit against the NCAA’s inclusion policies.

Spartans team captain Brooke Slusser joined the lawsuit in September. She named her teammate Blaire Fleming in the filing, saying she wants her off the team on the allegation that she is transgender. Slusser’s name was met with cheers when mentioned during the rally.

Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, a Republican, took the stage at the event, saying that he wants to pass legislation against the inclusion of transgender athletes for women’s protection.

Sam Brown, the Republican nominee for a Nevada U.S. Senate seat, was among the crowd. A representative for ICONS said 433 people attended.

Nine UNR players took the stage, all wearing “BOYcott” T-shirts. In UNR team captain Sia Liilii’s speech, she said UNR was dismissive of players who released a statement forfeiting to San Jose State by saying they didn’t understand the science.

“We are educated enough, and we do understand the difference between a male and female athlete,” Liilii said. “So my question to the NCAA and the Mountain West conference is: How many young women will have to be beaten or see their friends beaten out for an opportunity from a male?”

Freshman Kinsley Singleton was next to speak, before sophomores Sierra Bernard and Masyn Navarro gave a joint speech and junior middle blocker McKenna Dressel closed it out for the Wolf Pack.

All of the remarks from UNR’s players centered on what they described as the danger of playing against transgender athletes. Some cited various instances of girls allegedly sustaining career-ending injuries at the hands of transgender opponents.

‘Spineless’

Former University of Kentucky swimmer-turned-conservative activist Riley Gaines was a headlining speaker for the event.

Gaines called NCAA president Charlie Baker “weak-kneed, spineless and morally bankrupt” for failing to take a stance on the organization’s inclusion policies, which were adjusted in 2022 before his tenure began.

Under the updated policy, transgender athletes’ participation for each sport is determined by the hormone regulations set by each sport’s global governing body.

Gaines also “called out” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez.

“Do the right thing,” Gaines said. “Stop treating girls and women as an afterthought.”

Nevarez told the Review-Journal at Mountain West basketball media days Oct. 17 that the conference changing its policies would put the league at a “competitive difference from the rest of the volleyball-playing world.”

If a change were to be made, it would have to take place at the national level, Nevarez added.

‘Not about one person’

Before the rally, Liilii told the Review-Journal she was initially hesitant to speak out the way she has.

“Before coming out and releasing the statement with my name on it, I was pretty scared, because I didn’t know how people would react to this controversial topic, and I didn’t want to be seen as someone who has hate or any animosity. But the amount of support makes it all worthwhile.”

Fleming has played volleyball as a girl since high school, which differentiates her situation from that of swimmer Lia Thomas, who was mentioned multiple times during Saturday’s rally. Thomas transitioned and won an NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle in 2022, just a few years after being a runner-up in several men’s freestyle races at the Ivy League championships in 2019.

“It wasn’t public knowledge that this person was that,” Liilii said when asked about the sudden controversy.

It still isn’t, as Fleming and San Jose State have not commented on her gender identity.

“I think although, yes, this person has been playing (in the Mountain West) for two years, it’s more than just the fact that this person is playing. It’s about the future,” Liilii said. “It’s never been about this one person.”

Liilii said she has received online vitriol for her stance as she expressed empathy for Fleming.

“No one deserves to be put into a situation where there’s hate coming to them. I know I’ve received it, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone, because it does mess with your mental health,” Liilii said. “It messes with the way you think about yourself. And for this person to be suffering with that, I just feel very deeply for her, and I just can’t imagine — or I can, because I am, too.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.