Colorado State volleyball player accused of conspiring with SJSU trans athlete to hurt teammate kneels during National Anthem

San Jose State, whose roster includes Blair Fleming, a biological male identifying as female, advanced to the championship after Boise State forfeited their semifinal match. Fleming’s inclusion on San Jose State’s team has sparked debates about fairness, with several schools opting to forfeit matches rather than compete throughout the season.

The controversy escalated Friday when Colorado State’s Malaya Jones, recently named Mountain West Player of the Year, knelt during the national anthem alongside several teammates before their semifinal victory over San Diego State. Jones has faced backlash for her protest, which comes amid allegations she conspired with Fleming to harm San Jose State women’s volleyball player, Brooke Slusser earlier this season.

Colorado State head coach Emily Kohan defended her players’ actions, saying that the players “have knelt since their freshman year, when the Black Lives Matter movement was going on...and we've all supported them along the way.”

Jones and Fleming have both been accused of plotting to target San Jose State co-captain Slusser during an October 3 match, allegedly aiming to injure her with aggressive spikes due to her vocal opposition to Fleming’s participation. While a Mountain West investigation found insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims, critics have slammed the investigation as “rushed, sloppy, incomplete, and infected with bias,” according to The Daily Mail.

San Jose State is set to face Colorado State in the championship game, with the winner advancing to the NCAA tournament. Despite other universities choosing to forfeit against San Jose State, Colorado State has committed to playing the match.