Colorado State wins in straight sets after deciding to play against team mired in trans player controversy
As San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team has been wrapped up in controversy, Colorado State wasn’t afraid.
The Spartans have a transgender player, Blaire Fleming, on the roster, which has resulted in four teams forfeiting or canceling their matches against the school.
Colorado State opted to play against the university, and it’s easy to see why, as they won their match on Thursday, three sets to none (25-18, 25-20, 25-20).
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Colorado State’s womens’ volleyball team enters the court during a home game against Colorado at Moby Arena on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colo. (Logan Newell/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
It was an up-and-down night for Fleming, who recorded a match-high 14 kills – however, Fleming also recorded 10 errors. Fleming’s kill percentage was just 9.5%, but Fleming was set up for the kill 42 times, by far the most out of anyone in the match.
The loss marked the first for San Jose State this season.
Thursday’s match came roughly 48 hours after Utah State became the fourth program to decide not to face Fleming and San Jose state.
A San Jose State spokeperson also confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Aggies informed the team the match has been canceled, and Utah State will be assessed a loss due to forfeit.
Blaire Fleming, a redshirt senior at San Jose State University, plays as an outside and right-side hitter on the women’s volleyball team (San Jose State University)
Southern Utah, Boise State and the University of Wyoming all did so. None of the three schools previously provided a reason behind the forfeit other than understanding the consequences to their win-loss records.
When Boise State forfeited its match with SJSU, the NCAA provided OutKick with a statement in response.
“College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and the NCAA members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships.”
The 6-foot-1 Fleming has contributed to the Spartans’ success – Fleming’s 139.5 points and 119 kills both rank second on the team.
San Jose State was slated to play Wyoming next, but they are one of the four programs to opt out of playing.
A volleyball net pictured during the Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship held at the U.S. Cellular Center on November 23, 2019, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Macy Petty, a Concerned Women of America legislative assistant and NCAA volleyball player, spoke with Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten about how players are feeling “blindsided” because the NCAA has not informed teams of the presence of transgender players on opposing squads.
“There’s no informed consent for the schools or for the female athletes here. They’re totally blindsided when they walk up to the court, and they see that there’s a male athlete on the other side,” Petty said.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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