San Jose State’s volleyball team, which received six forfeit victories because of boycotts from Mountain West opponents, is seeded second in the conference tournament in Las Vegas and will receive a first-round bye.
The Spartans are scheduled to play in Friday’s semifinals against the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal match between No. 3 seed Utah State and No. 6 Boise State. Both schools forfeited to the Spartans during the regular season, so it’s unclear if the winner will take the floor Friday.
Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment to The Associated Press on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Should either team sit out against San Jose State, the Spartans will face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State in Saturday’s championship. All three teams played the Spartans this season.
Mountain West members Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada as well as Southern Utah canceled games this season against the Spartans. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details.
A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in the conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The lawsuit was recently filed in Colorado by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials.
The player has not spoken about her identity, and San Jose State has not commented on it due to federal privacy laws. ESPN is not naming the player.
SJSU has said all of its players are eligible to compete on its women’s volleyball team. NCAA policy allows transgender women to compete in women’s sports if they meet the parameters set by that sport’s governing body. For volleyball, transgender women are deemed eligible if they suppress their testosterone under 10 nmol/L.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.