UNR Officials: Women’s Volleyball Players ‘Cannot Forfeit Over Gender Identity or Expression’

Female athletes with the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) women’s volleyball team are refusing to back down after voting to forfeit their upcoming match against a San Jose State University (SJSU) team with a biological male player over “fairness and safety concerns.”

Now school officials have pushed back, telling the athletes that forfeiting for reasons involving gender identity or expression is legally prohibited and would violate the Nevada Constitution.

UNR Administration last week released a statement saying that the university “intends to move forward with the match as scheduled” and adding, “The University will continue to abide by the NCAA, Mountain West Conference and USA Volleyball rules and regulations as well as the laws and Constitution of the State of Nevada.”

The university’s statement noted that players are not authorized to forfeit the match and that the decision to forfeit must come from the school’s athletic department.

However, the school also stated that:

“Any member of the women’s Wolf Pack volleyball team may opt out of participating in the match on the day of the contest without consequence. No volleyball team member will be subjected to any team disciplinary action for deciding not to participate in the match.”

Team members are now considering the prospect of suing UNR for not allowing members of the women’s volleyball team to forfeit their Oct 26 game against SJSU in solidarity with four other schools that have likewise chosen to forfeit due to a male player named Blaire Fleming on SJSU’s roster.

University of Nevada women’s volleyball team is considering suing their school @unevadareno for not allowing the girls to forfeit the game against SJSU (for having a male player) in solidarity with the 4 other schools.

The “ugly turn”, btw, was when the @NCAA failed to set sane… pic.twitter.com/FMADsYDcbY

— XX-XY Athletics (@xx_xyathletics) October 19, 2024

According to the Reno Gazette Journal, UNR team captain Sia Liilii said the team will stick with their decision and will not show up to play SJSU.

Liilii stated, “I know what our team is going to do, and we are going to have integrity.”

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo expressed support for the players, stating “No student athlete should ever be pressured to play in a game where they don’t feel safe–period.”

Lombardo also said the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has a responsibility to address this issue in a way that protects the integrity of women’s sports and the student athletes who participate.

The student athletes at the University of Nevada, Reno have determined that they do not want to play against San Jose State, and I wholeheartedly respect the decision of the players.

No student athlete should ever be pressured to play a game where they don’t feel safe — period. pic.twitter.com/YuDtq8eAcV

— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) October 15, 2024