A fifth school has now forfeited their upcoming game against San Jose State rather than put their girls’ volleyball team up against a team with a biologically male player on its starting lineup.
The University of Nevada Reno girls volleyball team said in a statement that they stand in solidarity with nearly half a dozen schools that have forfeited their games against San Jose State in protest against allowing a guy to play on the girls’ team, and out of concern for both fairness and their own players’ safety.
"We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University," the team wrote in a statement to OutKick. "We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes."
Related: Fourth School's Girls' Volleyball Team Forfeits to San Jose State Rather Than Play Against a Boy
The Nevada athletic department had said in a statement earlier this month that the team would play their scheduled match, but had not consulted with the actual players on their team before making that statement, OutKick reported.
Utah State University, the University of Wyoming, Boise State, & Southern Utah have also refused to play against San Jose, forfeiting their games and accepting a loss on their records in protest of the unfairness and out of concern for the safety of their players.