University of Wyoming cancels second match against San Jose State, trans player

The University of Washington's women's volleyball team will not go ahead with a second, scheduled match against San Jose State University in protest of the opposing team's trans player Blaire Fleming. Fleming has not only been protested by opponents, but by those within the women's athletics department at San Jose State. An assistant coach was suspended after speaking out against the inclusion of a male on the women's team.

The school's athletics department announced that the upcoming Thursday match would be forfeited rather than subject the women's team to the hard-hitting Fleming. Many, including President-elect Donald Trump, believe that men have no place in women's sports, whether those men believe themselves to be women or not.

"The University of Wyoming volleyball team will not play its scheduled conference match at San Jose State University on Thursday, November 14," a statement from the school read. "Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming. The Cowgirls will play at Fresno State on Saturday, November 16 at 2 pm."

This is the second time the school has forfeited a match against San Jose State, the first one in September. The school had initially said that the team would play, but after "immense backlash from lawmakers and members of the public," Cowboy State Daily reports, the school decided not to play.

Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, and Nevada have all cancelled matches against San Jose State. While the Nevada women's volleyball team was united in their decision, the administration of the school said that the game would go ahead as scheduled, and whether or not the players took the court was up to them.

San Jose State's head coach Todd Kress addressed the forfeitures, saying "it has frankly been heartbreaking to watch for our-student athletes." He also said it has been affecting game play, and was grateful that San Diego State was willing to play against Fleming.

"It may sound simple, but concentrating on what we can do on the court has been very tough lately," he said. "When we get a chance to play, we’re super fired up about it, we’re super grateful for that opportunity. We have no idea what our schedule holds going down the road."

He spoke about "hate mail" coming in to team members, but when asked directly about Fleming and the suit against the NCAA over their trans policies that co-captain Brooke Slusser joined in September, he was less forthcoming. 

"I don’t know if that’s something I necessarily want to get in to. I think that what we do inside our locker room and inside our group is kind of just among ourselves," he said.

Slusser joined the complaint against her school to the NCAA, the national body that governs high school athletics. In so doing, she named Fleming, which critics say unfairly "outed" the trans player. The complaint challenges the body's policy of allowing men who say they are trans to play on women's teams and use women's facilities. Trump has promised to make this "inclusive" practice illegal.