Support for the University of Snowfall The Reno women’s volleyball team after they refused to compete against a rival team with a transgender player this week.
The UNR women’s volleyball team found itself at odds with its own university when it objected to the school’s desire to compete against San Jose State University and transgender player Blaire Fleming.
Earlier this week, Nevada became the fifth team to opt to forfeit a game against SJSU with Fleming cited as the reason for safety reasons.
The Nevada players got a lot of support from people like the always outspoken Riley Gaines, legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz and even SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser, among others.
‘The University of Nevada becomes the fifth team to lose its next game against SJSU. They are the first school to specifically cite equity and safety concerns as a reason for loss,” Gained posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to the team’s statement. ‘Incredibly proud of these girls, this is the way!!! !!!’
Support for the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team continued to pour in
The team refused to play against San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming (pictured)
The former NCAA swimmer later criticized the school’s response, calling it “crazy.”
“This is the bullying and emotional blackmail girls face when they stand up for themselves,” she wrote.
‘Hold the line girls, @NevadaWVB. We are all behind you! Boycott’
Support continued to grow as support began to pour in from the highest levels of the US government on Tuesday evening.
U.S. Senate candidate and military veteran Sam Brown, former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Oklahoma U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin reportedly showed up in support of Nevada’s Lady Wolf Pack this week.
The trio is said to have attended UNR’s game against Utah State, another of the five teams that pulled out of playing SJSU, on Tuesday night.
‘Thank you Sam Brown, Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Wayne Mullin for showing your support at our game against Utah State tonight! #ProtectWomensSports,” UNR captain Sia Liilii posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with a series of photos of the three politicians with the team.
UNR defeated Utah State in a five-set battle to end its rival’s four-match winning streak.
Social activist Riley Gained praised the UNR women’s volleyball team for taking a stand
‘A well-deserved win tonight for the Lady Wolf Pack volleyball team!’ Brown later posted on social media.
‘These women are also winning on the issue of PROTECTING women’s sport. This is a question of security, justice and privacy. “I hope all of Nevada and the United States come together to support these brave young women.”
The appearance came a day after the UNR women’s volleyball team announced it had voted to forfeit its match against San Jose State on Oct. 26.
The decision followed many other similar decisions by rival teams as the college volleyball season continued to be mired in debate over trans athletes over SJSU’s Fleming.
Fleming, a redshirt senior, has been cited as the reason four schools have lost games against San Jose State so far this season due to safety concerns.
Those concerns resurfaced last week when Fleming launched a vicious spike into the face of a female opponent during their game against the San Diego State Aztecs.
The UNR team said Monday that they “stand united in solidarity” with the other teams that refused to play San Jose State: Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming and the Utah State University.
U.S. Senate candidate and military veteran Sam Brown (right) and former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (left) showed their support by attending the UNR game this week.
Gabbard (center) was photographed with members of the team in images shared by Sia Liilii.
The team poses with Gabbard and Brown (second right) at Tuesday night’s game.
“We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, lose to San Jose State University,” the team’s statement read.
‘We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the field be respected. “We refuse to participate in any party that promotes injustice against female athletes.”
However, the University of Nevada later refused to acknowledge their decision and responded in a statement of its own.
The school said the volleyball team’s decision “does not represent” the views of the school and that it still “intends” to play the game.
Captain Liilii spoke about the school’s statement and revealed that the team had been caught off guard.
‘The school issued that statement without consulting our team at all. “We were quite upset because they didn’t notify us that a statement was coming out,” Liilii said. Kick out.
Five teams have lost games against SJSU over safety concerns due to Fleming
The University of Nevada has told its volleyball team that it “intends” to play the game.
“We were actually in Las Vegas getting ready for our game against UNLV, our in-state rival,” Liilii added. “It was a really frustrating moment, especially because we were about to play a big game.”
Liilii also shared his and his teammates’ vision of taking a stand, telling The Reno Gazette-Journal: “For us, it always came down to… equal opportunity, fair play on the court,” he shared the captain of the team.
“Women have fought very hard to get to the point we are at, playing D1 volleyball and having matches like this,” Liilii further told the outlet. “It’s not fair for someone who is a biological man to come in.”
Fleming’s brutal surge last week took place on the SJSU campus with the San Diego State Aztecs leading the Spartans 22-12 in the second set.
That’s when Fleming was set up by teammate Slusser before firing a shot into the face of San Diego State’s Keira Herron.
“Keira Herron has some pink in her hair and her face is starting to look like it matches that since she obviously made the contact,” an announcer said in the video, which has since gone viral.
Fleming (pictured), a redshirt senior in his third season on the San Jose State roster
Fleming, who is 6-foot-1, ranks third in the Mountain West in kills and second in points.
Surprisingly, Herron kept the play alive, though only momentarily before the point finally went to the Spartans. What’s more, he even laughed afterwards as he appeared to tell a teammate he was “fine.”
“I have to feel a little embarrassed while he’s trying to laugh at that last dance,” the announcer added.
San Jose State would lose in straight sets (25-21, 25-18, 25-19), falling to 9-2 on the season.
SJSU coach Todd Kress addressed the controversy, revealing that the team has received a significant amount of hate mail.
“Frankly, focusing on what we can do on the court has been very difficult lately,” he said, as quoted by mynbc15.com.
‘There have been outside forces that have tried to divide our team, our university, our conference and our sport. I know it’s been weighing on the players in our locker room who have worked hard for years.’
When asked about the hate mail, Kress said that “some of it, to be honest, is disgusting.”
Fleming (circled) slammed the ball into a female opponent’s face with full power last week.
Fleming (below left) is pictured with his San Jose State University teammates.
“I’m more concerned about our student-athletes and what they receive and how that affects their mental health,” he continued.
‘We have an incredible group of young women who are trying to put the controversy aside. I just have faith that eventually we will be able to put the outside noise aside and we will be able to play for each other and find love for each other again.’
Fleming was cleared by San Jose State to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team for three seasons and will join in 2022.
Fleming, who stands 6-foot-1, currently ranks third in the Mountain West in kills and second in overall points.