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The Boise State women’s volleyball program forfeited Saturday’s game against San Jose State due to concerns over a transgender Spartans player.
The discussion centers around San Jose State senior outside hitter Blaire Fleming, who has played for the Spartans since 2022, including multiple matches against the Broncos.
The news comes after SJSU player Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA headed by ex-Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines. The suit, which was filed in Georgia, aims to “remedy sex discrimination against women in college athletics.”
Fleming transferred to San Jose State in 2022 after beginning her career at Coastal Carolina.
Slusseser alleges, via the suit, that Fleming “a male who identifies as transgender and who claims a female identity.”
She claims that SJSU did not immediately tell her that Fleming is transgender. Slusser also says that she and Fleming roomed together on road trips. She claims she learned of her teammate’s gender identity when she overheard a student call Fleming a “guy.”
“Due to the NCAA’s Transgender Eligibility Policies which permit Fleming to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team and which led to SJSU recruiting Fleming, giving Fleming a scholarship, and allowing Fleming to be in positions to violate Brooke’s right to bodily privacy, Brooke has suffered physical and emotional injuries, embarrassment, humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish and suffering,” the lawsuit said.
Boise State issued the following statement on Friday on its decision not to play against the Spartans.
“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State. The Broncos will next compete on Oct. 3 against Air Force.”
Fleming and San Jose State are 10-0 thus far this season, but unranked in the latest AVCA Division I College Volleyball poll. She ranks second on the team in kills behind Nayeli Ti’a.