Seven members of the San Jose State women’s volleyball team enter the transfer portal after a season that saw a player beat a transgender teammate, according to Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Nayeli T’ia, Mari Lawton, Ava Martin, Laurel Barsocchini, Kiyana Faupula, Jade Epps and Teya Nguyen are reportedly the players leaving the Spartans program as they seek a “fresh start.”
Brooke Slusser, who argued for the disqualification of a volleyball teammate who was allegedly born male but now identifies as a transgender woman, is not eligible, as is the transgender player.
The Spartans went 14-7 last season and finished second in the Mountain West Conference. They did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament after losing to Colorado State in the conference tournament championship game. Seven of their victories came by forfeit after Boise State (three), Wyoming (two), Nevada and Utah State all refused to play.
Boise State withdrew from the conference tournament in November to avoid playing San Jose State, saying in a statement: “(Players) should not have to forfeit this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system which serves all athletes.”
San Jose State said all of its women’s volleyball players are eligible to participate under NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules.
The NCAA allows transgender female athletes to compete if they meet the eligibility criteria set by their sport’s governing body. For women’s volleyball, this means that transgender female athletes must submit documentation of their testosterone levels for at least the previous year to prove that they do not exceed the “normal female reference range for their age group “.
In November, Boise State sisters Kiersten and Katelyn Van Kirk, along with a handful of other current Mountain West players, filed a lawsuit against the league seeking an emergency injunction. The lawsuit sought to ban the San Jose State player suspected of being transgender, strip the Spartans of six forfeited championship victories and bar the team from the Mountain West tournament.
U.S. District Judge Kato Crews denied the players’ request, arguing that the late deadline imposed “a heavy burden” on the Mountain West and that the “plaintiffs” could have sought an injunction much sooner. This decision was upheld by an appeals court.
