“The people choosing not to play us, and that’s very unfortunate,” San Jose State University volleyball head coach Todd Kress said a few days ago. As the SJSU volleyball team continues to be marred by allegations of taking unfair advantage by using a transgender athlete, coach Kress is at his wit’s end. However, despite this, protecting the mental health of his team stays at the top of his to-do list, and he and the parents of the players are stepping up to do their part.

The controversy started with Southern Utah forfeiting its match against SJSU at the Santa Clara Tournament and spilled over to the Mountain West Conference as well. With four teams now refusing to play against the Spartans, it looks like the folks over at San Jose need to double up on their actions to maintain the squad’s confidence.

SJSU volleyball gets backing from the student’s parents and the university

On October 6, The Mercury News reported how the Spartans’ coach has resorted to unconventional tactics to uphold the morale of the team. “Coach Kress has started sending them daily affirmations,” reports the article, as the veteran volleyball mentor noted how this season is asking the staff to take up a new role. “This season, we’re more parents than coaches,” he elaborates. Keeping parity with his words, the parents of the other players have also voiced a similar opinion about how the team is doing its best to stick together.

“These girls all love and care about each other. All of them. But they’re kind of like, ‘What are we supposed to do?’ “The recent news article quotes the mother of a teammate of the transgender volleyball athlete. With that, she also noted her disappointment in seeing San Jose’s opponents choose to forfeit matches instead of giving the Spartans the season they deserved. “This was supposed to be their best season ever and now teams won’t even play us. It just negates the efforts of everybody,” she grumbled.

The interim vice president of San Jose State’s Title IX and Equal Opportunity Peter Lim also believes that a more accepting environment shouldn’t be much of an ask. “We believe in fostering equity and gender equity in athletics, and we want to ensure that every player who’s eligible to play plays,” Lim has been quoted by The Mercury News. “She has a strong hit. But you know what? I think some of the other teammates are just as strong, honestly,” frowned the parent of another Spartan volleyball player who didn’t want to be identified. Considering how San Jose just received a blow to the guts recently, the dissatisfaction of the Spartans camp can be easily understood.

The issue continues to whip up a storm

The San Jose women’s team was handed a sound defeat by Colorado State recently, ending the former’s 9-match winning streak. Despite the loss, Kress feels it would help to show that having a transgender athlete on the roster doesn’t make much of a difference. On the contrary, he believes that every athlete should be allowed the chance to play for their teams, as he said, “These young women that have earned the right to step on the court and play.” However, his sentiments aren’t reflected by others.

University of Kentucky alum and political activist Riley Gaines took to social media on September 7 to slam the NCAA for allowing transgender athletes to play in women’s sports. “Not only is this unfair, it’s dangerous,” she claimed, and soon found support from others in the country. “These poor girls—they have been asked to make very uncomfortable decisions,” said the mother of a volleyball player from Idaho.

After Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming, and Utah State also decided to forfeit their matches against the Spartans and stirred the pot once again. The San Jose team is scheduled to lock horns with San Diego on October 10. How do you think that match will end up? Show us your soothsaying skills with a comment!