Nevada Players Vote To Forfeit Against SJSU, Transgender Player Despite School's Statement | OutKick Exclusive
UPDATE: After this story was published, the University of Nevada sent a statement to OutKick saying that it "intends to move forward with the match as scheduled" and "the players’ decision does not represent the position of the University."
You can read the full statement here.
Previous story:
The Nevada women's volleyball team held a vote among players and voted to forfeit an Oct. 26 match against San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming, OutKick has exclusively learned.
The Nevada athletic department said in an exclusive statement to OutKick on Oct. 3 that the team would play the scheduled match. However, the school did not consult with the players before making that statement.
"The University of Nevada volleyball team remains focused on its upcoming matches with UNLV and San Diego State and intends to play its remaining Mountain West schedule, including the match with San José State University on October 26," the statement read.
"The University will continue to abide by the NCAA, Mountain West Conference and USA Volleyball rules and regulations as well as the laws and Constitution of the State of Nevada."
The University of Nevada issued a statement about its October 26 women's volleyball match against San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming without consulting members of the team.
(University of Nevada Athletics)
But most of the Nevada players did not agree with the decision made by the school and decided to take matters into their own hands.
"We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University," the team wrote in an exclusive statement to OutKick.
"We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes."
Riley Gaines, host of the OutKick podcast "Gaines for Girls" and one of the most influential pro-woman voices in the country, lauded the Nevada team for their bravery.
"When college athletes have to vote on whether to play the sport they received scholarships for, it’s a clear sign that the adults responsible for protecting them have failed," Gaines said in a statement to OutKick.
"I applaud these athletes for setting boundaries and prioritizing their safety over victory. They've shown far more courage and leadership than the president of the university and the President of this country.
"A movement is forming, where athletes take control of their future, reminding us that what's being called ‘progressive’ is actually taking us back in time."
Sia Liilii, a senior and one of two captains on the team, told OutKick that players were frustrated when they found out that the school had committed them to playing the match without speaking to them.
"The school released that statement without consulting our team at all," Liilii said. "We were pretty upset that we were not made aware that a statement was going to come out."
Nevada senior Sia Liilii told OutKick that players were upset and frustrated when the school committed them to playing against San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming without consulting the team.
(University of Nevada Athletics)
The senior outside hitter also noted that the timing of the statement couldn't have been worse.
"We were actually in Las Vegas preparing for our match against UNLV, our in-state rival," she said. "It was a really frustrating time, especially because we were about to go and play a big game."
Nevada lost to UNLV, 3-2, although Liilii acknowledged that the statement release did not affect the team's performance.
The senior told OutKick that players and coaches had a meeting the day after the match against UNLV to talk about the statement that the school released.
She said that players decided they wanted time to think about what they wanted to do.
This week, the team came together again and made the decision to forfeit their match against San Jose State.
"We decided that we're going to stand in solidarity with other teams that have already forfeited and that we wouldn't participate in a game that advances sex-based discrimination or injustice against female athletes," Liilii said.
Despite University of Nevada officials declaring the volleyball team would play San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming, players voted to forfeit the October 26 match.
(University of Nevada Athletics & San Jose State University Athletics)
Nevada is the fifth school to cancel a match this season against San Jose State and the fourth Mountain West team to forfeit rather than face transgender opponent Blaire Fleming.
Southern Utah became the first school to cancel its match against San Jose State last month when it backed out of a scheduled contest at the Santa Clara Tournament.
Nevada joined Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State as schools from the Mountain West to accept a loss rather than play their scheduled match.
While Liilii acknowledged the potential for negative backlash due to the team's decision, they decided it was worth it to stand up for what they believe in.
"It's definitely something that we've talked about as a team, but we've always come back to the fact that we believe that women deserve fair competition and our rights to opportunity," she said.
OutKick reached out to the University of Nevada to request comment on the decision made by the players. We will update if/when the school returns our message.
UPDATE: You can read the full statement from the University of Nevada here.
OutKick also reached out to San Jose State, which said in a statement:
"SJSU student athletes are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations. We remain committed to supporting all of our student athletes—including their mental health and physical safety, both on and off the court—during this challenging time. We continue to work to ensure their ability to participate in an inclusive, fair, and respectful environment," the school wrote via email.
The Mountain West Conference has repeatedly told OutKick that the forfeits are "institutional decisions" and the conference has no plans, currently, to adjust their procedures despite the multiple cancelations.
The Mountain West has remained relatively quiet about San Jose State volleyball and transgender player Blaire Fleming, despite four schools forfeiting conference matches in the past two weeks.
(Getty Images & San Jose State Athletics)
The conference's latest statement to OutKick, sent on Oct. 3:
"Per Mountain West policy, these are institutional decisions, and questions should be directed to the institutions. The forfeits are following the current policy and will be accounted for in the conference standings," conference spokesperson Javan Hedlund wrote via email.
OutKick reached out to the Mountain West after the Nevada announcement to ask if a fourth school forfeiting a match had changed the conference's position.
They did not immediately respond to our request.