San Jose State transgender controversy: 7 women's volleyball players reportedly enter transfer portal after turbulent season

Seven members of the San Jose State women's volleyball team are entering the transfer portal following a season that saw one player out a transgender teammate, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Marisa Ingemi.

Nayeli T’ia, Mari Lawton, Ava Martin, Laurel Barsocchini, Kiyana Faupula, Jade Epps and Teya Nguyen are reportedly the players leaving the Spartans program as they seek a "fresh restart."

Brooke Slusser, who advocated for the disqualification of a volleyball teammate who allegedly was born male but now identifies as a transgender female, is out of eligibility, as is the transgender player.

The Spartans went 14-7 this past season and finished second in the Mountain West conference. They did not advance to the NCAA tournament after losing to Colorado State in the conference tournament championship match. Seven of their wins came via forfeit after Boise State (three), Wyoming (two), Nevada and Utah State all refused to play.

Boise State withdrew from the conference tournament in November in order to avoid playing San Jose State, saying in a statement, "[The players] should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes."

San Jose State has said that all of its women’s volleyball players are eligible to participate under NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules.

The NCAA allows transgender women’s athletes to compete if they meet the eligibility criteria set by their sport’s individual governing body. For women’s volleyball, that means transgender women’s athletes must submit documentation of their testosterone levels for at least the previous year to prove they do not exceed the “normal female reference range for their age group.”

In November, Boise State sisters Kiersten and Katelyn Van Kirk and a handful of other current Mountain West players filed a lawsuit against the league seeking emergency injunctive relief. The lawsuit sought to ban the San Jose State player believed to be transgender, to strip the Spartans of six league wins obtained by forfeit and prevent the team from participating in the Mountain West tournament.

U.S. District Judge Kato Crews rejected the players’ request, arguing that the late timing placed “a heavy lift” on the Mountain West and that the “plaintiffs “could have sought injunctive relief much earlier.” That ruling was upheld by an appeals court.