Despite earning a position in the semifinals versus the Spartans, Boise State, which twice skipped regular-season games against San Jose State, withdrew from the Mountain West women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday night.
San Jose State is ranked second in the conference tournament and was given a first-round bye after suffering six forfeit victories as a result of Mountain West opponents’ boycotts. Instead of playing on Friday, the Spartans will now go all the way to the championship game on Saturday.
In a statement, Boise State said: “It was not an easy choice to withdraw from the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament. Our squad battled to defeat Utah State in the opening round on Wednesday, overcoming forfeitures to secure a position in the tournament field. While they wait for a better, more considerate system that benefits all athletes, they shouldn’t have to pass up this chance.”
On Thursday, San Jose State announced it will release a statement.
Boise State made the news just hours after defeating Utah State in the quarterfinals 25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23.
Following the game, Boise State did not immediately commit to facing San Jose State. It was unclear whether the decision to withdraw from the competition was made by the institution or by a team vote.
Most likely, the title bout will proceed according to plan. Either No. 5 San Diego State or top-seeded Colorado State will face San Jose State. Instead of sitting out this season, both clubs played the Spartans.
Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, Nevada, and Southern Utah, all members of the Mountain West, canceled their games against the Spartans this season.The athletes from Nevada made the statement that they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” but they did not elaborate.
The Defending Women’s Sports Act, an executive order signed by Idaho Governor Brad Little on August 28, questions the state’s interpretation of Title IX regulations.
“Biological males men and boys have physical differences that give them an unfair advantage when competing with women and girls in athletics,” Little stated at the time.
Players from different schools recently filed a lawsuit in Colorado against the conference and San Jose State officials, demanding that a Spartans player be disqualified from the tournament. The lawsuit cited unidentified reports that claimed there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her.
The player is permitted to play, according to a ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver on Monday. The following day, a federal appeals court upheld the ruling.
Neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have acknowledged that the university has a trans women’s volleyball player, despite several media outlets reporting those and other details. Because the player has not made any public remarks regarding her gender identity and has turned down an interview request from school officials, the Associated Press is not revealing her name.
Nevada and Wyoming were excluded from the event.
The five teams’ cancellation of their games against San Jose State appears to have been motivated by transgender women’s participation in women’s athletics, and the issue gained significant political attention prior to the most recent election.
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