The San Jose State women’s volleyball team has never gotten this kind of attention. Yet after a national furor around the possibility that the team has a trans woman playing, a player named Blaire Fleming.
Yet last night, the SJSU Spartans lost in straight sets to the Colorado State Rams, 25-18, 25-20, 25-20.
That’s a bit of a blow-out in volleyball.
So while Colorado State came into the match with a 7-5 record, they upended San Jose State that had been, until last night, undefeated. Colorado State now sits atop the Mountain West standings.
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That match also happened to be the Rams’ “inclusive excellence game.”
As four teams have forfeited, or announced their intention to forfeit, matches against SJSU and Fleming, Colorado State chose to play the match and won big.
Fleming has played on the Spartans team for three years. They’ve never won a conference championship and haven’t come close to a national championship. While no one player in volleyball can determine an outcome, it reflects the reality of having a (possibly) trans athlete on a volleyball team: She may have an impact, but she doesn’t determine the outcome.
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Fleming, for her part, had by far the most “ki*ls” during the game for SJSU, with 14, and the most in the game. She also had the most digs and was tied for the most blocks for the Spartans.
Yet San Jose State lost in a decisive win for the Rams.
This match, along with the other season-long outcomes for the Spartans since Fleming joined the team, gives a scratch of the head as to why teams would forfeit against them.
There have been questions of safety — even one of Fleming’s teammates raised this — that she is simply that much stronger than other players on the court. Yet we haven’t seen evidence of any injury or, before of the last few weeks, any questions about that.
In the meantime, law enforcement has taken notice of threats, and they are taking extra precaution protecting this SJSU team.
All of this comes amidst at least one of Fleming’s teammates protesting her inclusion on the team.
What a mess.
SJSU head coach Todd Kress addressed the choice some schools have made to take a loss in forfeit, instead of play against his team.
“It’s not just us that are losing opportunities to play, it’s the people choosing not to play us,” he said. “That’s very unfortunate when it comes to these young women that have earned the right to step on the court and play.”
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