Nevada volleyball players were pressured with legal issues to play SJSU trans player during a feud with the school.

In October, the University of Nevada Reno women's volleyball team was involved in a highly publicized dispute with its university and athletic department over whether to play a match against San Jose State University.

San Jose State, at the time, rostered a trans athlete.

The four other programs that refused to play SJSU were joined by the Nevada players who privately approached university administrators to express their desire to forfeit the match. However, Nevada did not honor this request and instead released a statement stating it would play the match. Additionally, Nevada insisted that its players would be allowed to skip the contest without facing any disciplinary action.

The team forfeited the match the day before it was scheduled to be played because they did not have enough players. Nevertheless, the university discussed potential legal issues with the players if the game did not take place.

According to a statement provided exclusively to Planet Chronicle Digital, university administrators discussed with the Nevada volleyball team possible legal issues that could arise if they decided not to play, including potential violations of the Nevada Constitution.

In 2022, the state's constitution was revised to include gender identity as a protected classification under state law, with Democrat lawmakers voting to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment.

Nevada's statement read that the University of Nevada was prohibited from forfeiting due to gender identity or expression-related reasons, as this could constitute discrimination and violate the Nevada Constitution.

Marshi Smith made allegations against Nevada, prompting a response from the state.

Smith, who heads a legal advocacy group, spoke with multiple players on the Nevada team during the dispute and filed a lawsuit against San Jose State and the Mountain West conference for its handling of the trans athlete situation.

Smith informed Planet Chronicle Digital that UNR administrators warned athletes about potential legal consequences if they declined to compete against SJSU's team, which featured a male starter.

The escalating dispute between players sparked a national controversy that attracted mainstream political attention in the weeks before the November election.

Sia Liilii, the captain of the Nevada players, publicly criticized the university on multiple occasions for not allowing them to forfeit the match. Trump's Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and former Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown visited the team for a photo-op and interview.

The controversy intensified as the Oct. 26 match date drew nearer. On Oct. 22, Nevada and San Jose State announced that the game would be relocated from Nevada's campus in Reno to San Jose State's campus in California, stating that the change was "in the best interest of both programs and the well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff and spectators."

On the day before the match, Nevada announced that it would forfeit due to a lack of willing participants. As a result, the team suffered a loss and finished the season with a record of 1-7.

On Oct. 26, players from Nevada spoke about the pressures they faced from the university to play the match in a press conference at their university.

Liilii broke down in tears as soon as she began speaking, recounting her experience of opposing a transgender player in school competition.

"Liilii sobbed, saying, "We felt unsafe and dismissed. We met with our school officials to present our team's new statement, but they wouldn't listen. They told us we weren't educated enough and didn't understand the science. They told us to reconsider our position.""

Masyn Navarro, a sophomore at Nevada, claimed that her teammates were instructed to remain silent about the controversy during the press conference.

"Although it should not be this challenging to support women, we will seize this chance to do so as a group, as some of us have been instructed to remain silent," Navarro stated.

Rempe previously addressed the allegations made at the press conference in a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"No member of the athletics administrative team informed our women's volleyball team that they were not educated enough, did not understand the science, should reconsider their position, or should stay quiet regarding their participation in an Oct. 26 match against San Jose State University."

Rempe stated that she had apologized to the players for how they were informed about the university's decision to proceed with the game, despite their vote to forfeit.

On October 14th and October 22nd, I had brief conversations with the team, each lasting less than five minutes. These meetings were focused on operational matters. At all three gatherings, I expressed our sincere apology for not sharing the statement released on October 3rd prior to their match against UNLV. As has been stated numerous times, we remain committed to supporting the rights of the volleyball players who choose to participate or not participate.

The Nevada Constitution's Article I, Section 24 prohibits the state or any of its subdivisions from denying or limiting equality under the law based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.

Liilii is one of 11 former or current Mountain West volleyball players involved in a lawsuit against San Jose State and the Mountain West for its handling of the trans athlete situation.

Brooke Slusser, the co-captain of San Jose State's women's soccer team, is suing the NCAA for her experience of sharing a team, bedroom, and changing spaces with a trans athlete while the school and conference withheld the player's birth sex from her for an entire season.

The other players on the defendant list are Alyssa Sugai, Elle Patterson, Nicanora Clarke, Kaylie Ray, Macey Boggs, Sierra Grizzle, Jordan Sandy, Katelyn Van Kirk, and Kiersten Van Kirk. Former SJSU Assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was suspended by San Jose State after filing a Title IX complaint alleging favorable treatment toward the trans player, is also a plaintiff.

Smith revealed to Planet Chronicle Digital that several players had expressed concerns about retaliation from their schools when making a decision about joining the lawsuit.

The most frequent initial inquiry from NCAA female athletes seeking assistance is: "What measures can my school or the NCAA take to retaliate against me if I advocate for allowing men in women’s sports?" These athletes are frequently fearful of losing scholarships or being removed from their teams, as Smith explained to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"We assure that these athletes have the right to free speech under the Constitution. They can protest against discrimination, Title IX violations, or increased safety risks when competing against a male athlete without fear of retaliation, even if their schools lie to them."

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