San Jose volleyball gets some respite despite the ongoing tribulations. But the team isn’t over the rough patch just yet. On Saturday, San Diego handed the Spartans another defeat, denting the former’s dreams of making ripples in the NCAA circuit this season. However, even in loss, the San Jose squadron had something to be cheerful about, thanks to the athlete whose inclusion on the team is causing a ruckus in the country’s collegiate volleyball scene.

Spartans outside hitter Blaire Fleming has been in the crossfire for months. The fact she’s a trans athlete has prompted several of San Jose’s opponents to forfeit their matches against the team. A student-led lawsuit against the NCAA has only made things murkier, and an amicable solution has yet to be reached. However, it sounds like Fleming is using every opportunity that comes her way in the meantime.

San Jose volleyball is topping charts everywhere

An article by Fox News from November 9 reveals the Spartans player’s milestone season achievements. The article reports despite the team’s loss last weekend, Fleming has reached her 250th kill of the season, which is a significant feat for any volleyball player in their career. With 15 kills in her latest match, Blaire now sits atop 252 kills highlighting her abilities as a volleyball player. This is also the second time Fleming has achieved the milestone feat in her career. During her debut season in 2022, she racked up 311 kills for the San Jose volleyball team.

Meanwhile, San Jose has had seven of its Mountain West conference matches forfeited this season because of the controversy. And yet, thanks to the rampage she’s on, the Spartans are currently third “in kills-per-serve average and first in hitting percentage across the Mountain West,” as per a recent Fox News article.

However, despite Fleming’s titular onslaught against San Jose’s opponents, you cannot shut your eyes with the shadow towering over the program. Along with the continuous flow of forfeits, opinions from both ends of the spectrum are creating even more turmoil in the situation. Moreover, the NCAA faces a lot of criticism from every stakeholder involved.

The blazing glares aren’t stopping

The issue started in September when Boise State became the first team to announce it would opt out of its match against the Spartans. This single forfeit opened the floodgates to even more programs following the same path. However, despite such hostility, San Jose’s head coach Todd Kress has been doing everything he can to ensure his athletes don’t lose their hearts and continue doing what they love.

“The people choosing not to play us, and that’s very unfortunate,” Kress said in October. To mitigate the issue, he has started boosting the confidence in his locker room by adopting affirmation techniques. “Coach Kress has started sending them daily affirmations,” the Mercury News reported as Kress confessed that this season the coaching staff are taking up the role of a parent.

However, Fleming continues to greet frowning glares on the home front. Their teammate Brooke Slusser is the one who is leading the lawsuit against the NCAA. Slusser claimed the school hid Fleming’s identity from the rest of the athletes for two years, and noted how the girls were scurrying to evade Fleming’s spikes during practice. “One thing that’s important in this case is really the physical safety issues in volleyball,” Slusser’s lawyer told Outkick.

So what would be your suggestion to bring peace to the entire situation? Tell us in the comments!