The 2024 women’s college volleyball season was off to a dream start for the San Jose State Spartans. With the rising popularity of volleyball across the nation, the NCAA team looked poised for something special. However, controversy overtook their dominance on the court on September 7. Former SEC swimming champ Riley Gaines made the explosive claim against the university.

The former college athlete claimed that SJSU was hiding that Spartans member Blaire Fleming was a trans athlete. Gaines took a hardline stance with trans athletes in women’s sports after competing against trans woman swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. Now in 2024, the former competitive swimmer said San Jose’s actions were “unfair” and “dangerous” for women on the court.

Things blew up even more when Southern Utah refused to play against SJSU on September 14 at the Santa Clara Tournament. San Jose State refused to clarify if Blaire Fleming was indeed born a biological male to Outkick. They also didn’t reply to Cowboy State Daily, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). However, things would not end there as SJSU’s Brooke Slusser made her move.

In March, Gaines, along with over a dozen athletes, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA. The lawsuit argued that the NCAA violated their Title IX right by letting Lia Thomas compete in 2022. Now, Brooke Slusser has made an addition to the former Kentucky swimmer-led lawsuit. However, the volleyball player’s case is not against Thomas but against her fellow spartan, Blaire Fleming.

Brooke Slusser took the step after experiencing Blaire Fleming’s abilities on the court. While the NCAA athlete doesn’t agree with her teammate getting bullied on social media, she expressed safety concerns. “One thing that’s important in this case is really the physical safety issues in volleyball,” Slusser’s lawyer, Bill Bock, told Outkick.

The SJSU Spartans have had a monumental season so far, currently sitting on a 9-0 win streak. Blaire Fleming is among the top performers in the team, with the second-most total kills at 103. Fleming’s blisteringly fast spikes, which Slusser estimated to be “traveling upward of 80 mph,” became a serious cause of concern for the athlete.

The SJSU student’s addition to the lawsuit explains that she never saw a “woman hit a volleyball” faster, according to Cowboy State Daily. Riley Gaines supported Slusser’s move with a post on X, once again highlighting the physical safety concerns raised by the athlete. Brooke Slusser also alleged that she became aware that Fleming was a biological male after joining the team. According to the Spartan, several other recruits are also upset for the same reason. However, not everyone’s on the same page.

Just a bump in the road for San Jose State’s volleyball team?

An SJSU athlete joining a lawsuit against her own sounds significant. However, the possible repercussions are yet to rear their heads. After South Utah University refused to play against San Jose, the team told Outkick that they’d be competing in only two games at the Santa Clara Tournament. Since then, things seem to be going smoothly for the Spartans’ historic NCAA season.

The Spartans swept the Fresno State Bulldogs in a dominant 3-0 performance on September 24. After earning their 9th straight victory in 2024, the volleyball team is poised to take on Boise State tomorrow, September 28. While the University of Wyoming did discuss the safety concerns with their team members, the Cowgirls agreed to take on SJSU on October 5.

Some voices on the internet have also shown support for Blaire Fleming. “If I was Blaire Fleming, I’d sue Riley (Grimes). There is no proof she is trans…” commented a netizen on Outkick’s Gaines for Girls podcast host’s critical post on X.

“Tell me you haven’t seen a high level D1 women’s volleyball player without telling me you haven’t seen a high-level D1 women’s volleyball player…” Another volleyball fan responded to the same post. Now with the lawsuit against Blaire Fleming, the SJSU team may find themselves in a tricky situation. If the legal proceedings become too complex, the availability of one of their star players may come into question. It could also affect their success on the court.