SJSU falls in MW final as controversial year ends

LAS VEGAS — The San José State women’s volleyball team lost its bid for the Mountain West Conference championship Saturday, ending a season full of controversy, forfeits and protests.

Top-seeded Colorado State (20-10) beat the second-seeded Spartans (14-6) in four sets — 27-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16 — to claim the conference’s automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA tournament in front of a sparse crowd of about 200.

Mountain West Player of the Year Malaya Jones led the Rams with 26 kills, 9 digs and 3 blocks. CSU setter Emery Herman, who had 50 assists and 16 digs, was named MVP.

“I’m just so proud of us,” Rams coach Emily Kohan said. “We stuck together through a lot and against a lot of negative energy. We controlled our own destiny, and I think we made a statement in the process.”

Once the ball hit the court for the final Colorado State point, a San José State team that brought energy and togetherness all match scattered after a brief group hug. Coach Todd Kress sat on the bench gazing at his clipboard. Co-captain and setter Brooke Slusser, who is part of two lawsuits about the eligibility of a teammate she says is transgender, walked off the court and into the hallway.

“Our team played their hearts out today, the way they have done all season,” Kress said in a statement. “This has been one of the most difficult seasons I’ve ever experienced and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities.”

Five teams — including four in the Mountain West — canceled or forfeited games against the Spartans this season. None of the schools explicitly stated a reason, but players from Nevada — one of the schools to forfeit — held a rally Oct. 26 instead of playing their scheduled match against San José State to argue that transgender women should be excluded from women’s sports.

The volleyball player has not spoken about her identity, and San José State has not commented on her identity because of federal privacy laws. ESPN is not naming the player.

“Our team prepared and was ready to play each match according to established Mountain West and NCAA rules of play,” Kress’ statement said. “We did not take away anyone’s participation opportunities. Sadly, others who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout. Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and many associated with our program.”

SJSU advanced to the conference championship game after Boise State forfeited the semifinal match. The Broncos also forfeited their two regular-season matches against the Spartans.

On Sept. 23, Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA where she said her teammate was transgender and posed a safety threat to her teammates and opponents. Slusser, along with SJSU associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose and 10 other current and former Mountain West volleyball players, filed another lawsuit on Nov. 13, challenging the conference’s transgender participation policy. The lawsuit also sought an emergency injunction to bar SJSU from competing in the Mountain West tournament with its full roster.

U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews ruled Monday that the player was allowed to play, and a federal appeals court upheld the decision the following day.

The first meeting of the season between the Rams and Spartans generated its own controversy. Batie-Smoose alleged in a Title IX complaint and lawsuit that the SJSU player said to be transgender colluded with a CSU player during their Oct. 3 match. The Mountain West investigated those claims and closed its investigation on Nov. 15 after finding insufficient evidence to corroborate her claims.

Batie-Smoose has not been on the bench since the Title IX report became public, but she sat stoically in the stands during Saturday’s championship match. She declined an interview request with ESPN.

After the match ended, senior Alessia Buffagni walked into the stands to hug Batie-Smoose. Buffagni was visibly crying as Batie-Smoose looped an arm around Buffagni’s shoulders. Other players greeted her as well.

There were two protesters outside Cox Pavilion on Friday, but none Saturday. In addition, there were no noticeable signs of hostility from the some 200 fans who attended the final.