The controversial volleyball match between UNR and San Jose State is officially off.
“Due to not having enough players to compete, the University of Nevada women’s volleyball team will not play its scheduled Mountain West Conference match at San José State,” UNR said in a statement late Thursday.
The statement cited Mountain West policy as it explained that the result will be recorded as a loss to UNR. It’s the fifth forfeiture to the Spartans this season.
The contest was initially scheduled to take place at noon Saturday in Reno, but both universities agreed on changing the location to San Jose on Tuesday, “in the best interest of both programs.”
The Northern California move came after Wolf Pack players released their own statement last week saying they wouldn’t participate in the contest as a form of protest against the participation of transgender women in sports.
UNR responded, saying the university’s values didn’t align with the players. UNR also cited laws that prohibited the cancelling of the match, framing the action as a form of discrimination but offering support for athletes who didn’t want to play.
It’s no surprise UNR couldn’t gather the six players required to field a team. Wolf Pack volleyball captain Sia Liilii shared a social media flyer on Wednesday, promoting a rally scheduled to take place at Little Waldorf Saloon in Reno an hour after the contest was meant to start in San Jose.
Liilii was listed as a confirmed speaker, along with “a dozen UNR volleyball team members.”
“Hey NCAA & Mountain West,” the flyer read. “Women’s sports are for women only.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X