The San Jose State University women’s volleyball team has looked unstoppable this year. The Spartans have overcome every challenger on the field so far to build a 10-0 win streak in their pursuit of the NCAA title. However, things outside the court have severely impacted the historic start to their season. That’s because not one, but two of their opponents have refused to play against SJSU.

So what happened? Things got hairy on social media after former swimmer Riley Gaines accused SJSU of hiding the fact that Blaire Fleming of the Spartans was a trans athlete. Despite the controversy, the University of Wisconsin decided to face the Spartans on October 5. However, Boise State University pulled out at the last moment from their September 28 game.

Gaines, who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for violating Title IX by allowing trans athlete Lia Thomas to compete in the women’s division in 2022, said SJSU’s move was “unfair” for the women on the court. Following Gaines’ September 7 post on X, Southern Utah canceled their Santa Clara Tournament game against SJSU on September 14. Now Boise State has done the same, willingly taking a loss on their record.

“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 said in their statement. Although the uncontested win extended the Spartans’ undefeated record to 10-0, troubles seem to be mounting for SJSU.

While UW agreed to play the Spartans in their upcoming clash, they sat for a discussion with the team before giving the green light. However, after Boise State’s last-moment pullout, one can’t help but think that UW might do the same. Unfortunately, neither Southern Utah nor Boise State have officially clarified their reasons for refusing to play against SJSU.

However, the Governor of Idaho has voiced his support for the Broncos. “I applaud @BoiseState for working within the spirit of my Executive Order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act. We need to ensure player safety for all of our female athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports,” said Brad Little in a statement where he didn’t mince his words. But the Idaho governor is far from being the first person to speak about safety concerns.

The crux of the argument against SJSU volleyball allowing Blair Fleming

Besides accusing SJSU of hiding that Blaire Fleming is a trans athlete, Riley Gaines also said it was “dangerous” to allow Fleming on the court. The Kentucky swimmer raised safety concerns for the women on the court. Gaines garnered support and criticism for her accusations on X. However, things took a turn when another SJSU athlete joined Gaines.

Blaire Fleming’s teammate Brooke Slusser joined the Title IX lawsuit, filing a case against Fleming after Southern Utah canceled their game. The volleyball player also raised safety concerns for those sharing the court with her fellow Spartan. Slusser raised concerns against Fleming’s spike, which she estimated to be “traveling upward of 80 mph.”

Slusser argued that Fleming’s spikes were faster than she had ever seen a woman hit a volleyball. “One thing that’s important in this case is really the physical safety issues in volleyball,” her lawyer told Outkick. Thus, safety concerns have taken center stage in the controversy surrounding the SJSU Spartans. Boise State pulling out may reflect positively on SJSU’s season stats. However, it could become a serious concern if other teams follow suit for future games.