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Students on the women’s volleyball team at the University of Nevada, Reno, have voted to forfeit their match against San José State University rather than play against the team, which has a member who is transgender. This is the fifth team to make such a decision against San José State.
The UNR team said they “stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University,” according to a statement they sent to Outkick.com, a right-leaning sports news website. “We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.”
UNR’s athletic department had previously announced that the team would participate in the match-up but also noted that players who decided not to play would not be punished.
“The players’ decision and statement were made independently, and without consultation with the University or the athletic department,” UNR said in a statement. “The players’ decision also does not represent the position of the University.”
Nevada governor Joe Lombardo, a Republican, issued a statement on X on Tuesday saying that he “wholeheartedly respect[s] the decision of the players.”
“No student athlete should ever be pressured to play a game where they don’t feel safe—period,” he said.
