CV NEWS FEED // The captain of the University of Nevada’s (UNR) volleyball team has reiterated that none of the players will compete against San Jose’s team because it includes a biological male, despite the university’s refusal to forfeit the match.
Reno Gazette Journal reports that team captain Sia Liilii reiterated the team’s position after winning a game against Utah State. Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown, and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin attended the game after hearing reports of the team’s refusal to play against San Jose.
Liilii told the Gazette, “For us, it always came down to … equal opportunity, fair play on the court.”
She added, “Women have fought so hard to get to the point where we are, playing D1 volleyball and having matches like this. For someone who is a biological male to come in is not fair.”
After the game, Gabbard , who sponsored legislation protecting women’s sports in 2020, spoke with Liilii and told her, “I am so proud of you.”
Brown told the Gazette, “This is a noble fight these young ladies are engaged in, and I wanted to be here to stand up with them,” adding that he was disappointed with the university’s stance on the issue.
“This shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” he said. “I have an 11-year-old daughter. This is personal.”
UNR’s officials are “in communication with” San Jose State after Liilii’s most recent comments, according to the Gazette. The article states that “it is not known” if San Jose will travel to Nevada for the October 26 game. However, the university maintains that the game cannot and will not be officially canceled.
UNR said that it respects the First Amendment rights of its female players to not play in the game. However, it also stated that forfeiting “for reasons involving gender identity” would be a violation of First Amendment rights.
We acknowledge that a student’s refusal to play may be intended as free expression that is protected by the First Amendment. We must also acknowledge that a student choosing to play may also be intended as an expression protected by the First Amendment. As such, the University cannot forfeit for reasons involving gender identity or expression without potentially violating the rights of its students.
The UNR later added, “Definition of and disciplinary action for any unexcused absence by a student-athlete is left to the discretion of the respective program’s head coach.”
CatholicVote previously reported that the team stated they would forfeit to San Jose on October 13, but the university released a statement on October 14 stating that the university “intends to move forward with the match as scheduled.” However, players would not face disciplinary action for refusing to play.