Seven San Jose State Women's Volleyball Players Transfer After Season Dominated By Trans Player Controversy

7 players from the San Jose State Spartans women’s volleyball team are entering the transfer portal after the program experienced a highly tumultuous season.

This isn’t a normal situation where players are leaving a program that can’t win games. San Jose State was one win away from booking a trip to the NCAA tournament, losing in the Mountain West Conference championship game. San Jose State experienced controversy because it allowed a transgender player - Blaire Fleming - to play on its roster for the entire season despite receiving backlash.

Read: U.S. Sen. Risch Says Mountain West 'Failed' Boise State After SJSU Forfeit

On the heels of this tumultuous season, seven players from the Spartans program have entered the transfer portal looking for new homes. Those players are Nayeli T’ia, Mari Lawton, Ava Martin, Laurel Barsocchini, Kiyana Faupula, Jade Epps and Teya Nguyen. San Jose State issued a statement to Fox News Digital saying that they were supportive of the players who chose to move on.

"Student athletes have the ability to make decisions about their college athletic careers, and we have the utmost respect for that," the statement read.

It’s not entirely clear if the players are leaving due to the dysfunction the program experienced during the 2024 season. To this point, noone has gone on the record explaining their decisions to leave.  

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO - OCTOBER 19: San Jose State Spartans players huddle during the first set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

As stated above, Fleming’s presence on the team (rightfully) caused many outside of SJSU to cry foul about the whole situation, as well as people from within. At one point in the season, captain Brooke Slusser spoke with OutKick about many of the issues within the team, which included SJSU suspending assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose for the sole reason of speaking out against Fleming being on the team. 

Slusser is out of eligibility and will not be playing next year either.  Despite all the noise, San Jose State somehow found a way to get on the doorstep of the NCAA tournament. 

Fleming no longer has any college eligibility, and with the seven transfers, just six players remain on the team with eligibility.  San Jose State's decision to champion a man on its women's volleyball roster seems to have cost them dearly.