October 2, 2024 |
Photo – Cowgirls go for the block – Courtesy gowyo.com
The University of Wyoming volleyball team will forfeit a game against San Jose State rather than play the Spartans, who have a male player who claims to be a female. Declining the contest comes with a cost.
According to Mountain West Conference, the Cowgirls will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming.
A brief statement from UW yesterday, reads, “After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San Jose State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5.”
Wyoming is the second team in a week to forfeit rather than play the Spartans, who feature a reported transgender athlete on their roster an outside hitter Blaire Fleming. Southern Utah and Boise State also said no to playing the Spartans.
One of Fleming’s own teammates, Brooke Slusser, joined lawsuit against the NCAA for violating Title IX.
The player in the center of the controversy was born male, with the name Brayden Fleming. He has had his birth name and identity hidden by SJSU for nearly two years. Fleming is second on the team with 119 kills and 3.92 kills per set. Fleming’s spikes have been clocked at more than 80 mph.
San Jose State is 10-0 overall, 2-0 in MW conference play. One of the conference wins was the result of the Boise State boycott. Wyoming (9-4, 1-1) is scheduled to return to the floor against Fresno State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
