By james art Bravery became a powerful choice for the nine members of the University of Nevada’s women’s volleyball team as they united on Saturday to champion women’s rights.
These female athletes took a stand to advocate for safety and fairness in sports, laying out the reasons why they objected to competing against a trans player on the San Jose State women’s team.
The University of Nevada’s administration, including athletic director Stephanie Rempe, refused to listen to her own student athletes, so the team asserted their voices, knowing full well that their stance would put them in the middle of a heated debate but having faith that they’d come out on the right side of history one day.
Wolf Pack captain Sia Liilii and her teammates turned fear into freedom by not playing against SJSU’s Blaire Fleming.
READ: Riley Gaines Leads Rally With University Of Nevada Volleyball Captain Sia Liilii To Protect Sports For Women
Their courageous stance continued on Saturday at the “Women’s Sports Are For Women Only” rally, where they told their story in the hopes it would inspire others to join the fight.
Over 400 people attended the event to support the women of UNR, which was hosted by ICONS — the Independent Council on Women’s Sports — and featured an introduction by OutKick’s own Riley Gaines.
Sia Liilii, Masyn Navarro, Women of UNR Lead Powerful Event For Reno Community
Days before the event, the women of Nevada’s Wolf Pack were given a choice after playing Fresno on Thursday: take a bus to San Jose and play against trans athlete Blaire Fleming, or return to Reno.
It was the UNR administration’s last effort at pressuring these women to play, but as Liilii said, the Wolf Pack “stood on business.”
The UNR women join Riley Gaines at the Women’s Sports Are For Women event (OutKick/Alejandro Avila)
“I’m happy to say we kept our word,” Liilii shared with OutKick. “We said, ‘No, we’re not going to San Jose.’ I’m a captain of a lot of strong and awesome women, so I’m so happy to be here and help amplify our voices.
READ: Nevada volleyball has officially waived San Jose State transgender player Blair Fleming
The UNR women became the fifth team to pull out of the contest against Fleming and the fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
“At the end of the day, the only thing we want is equality I play,” sophomore Masyn Navarro shared with OutKick.
She added: “That’s our whole purpose here. If we get to that point, we’ll feel like we’ve achieved what we’re fighting for, but also for women’s sport across the country, the young girls are coming through. That’s the main thing.”
While the other teams that opted out stayed quiet, the Wolfpack were upfront and open about why they were taking a stand.
“These are our core values,” Liili shared. “I think that situation has allowed us to really embrace it, which is amazing. I mean, at the beginning of the season, we talked about our core values and we said, yeah, of course you’re going to fight.”
The aforementioned Masyn Navarro, exuding immense confidence during the event, stated that the Wolf Pack players were willing to support Liilii regarding the confiscation at the beginning of their discussions.
“I feel like it was something that, even though I was scared, I felt confident through her that I could give her support and support the rest of the team,” Navarro said.
The UNR women join Riley Gaines at the Women’s Sports Are For Women event (OutKick/Alejandro Avila)
Teams scheduled to play SJSU will have a chance to support these women as well or fall in line by participating.
“I encourage them to just have confidence in their beliefs. I need them to cut out all the outside noise and follow what they believe is right,” Navarro told his fellow athletes.
Navarro emphasized that the Wolf Pack has seen unwavering support from fans and the community since their loss.
“And also know that even if you don’t feel the support, there is always support. Yes, if you need to look for it, even if it’s not fully in your line of sight, support is always there.”
Riley Gaines applauds UNR’s strong stance years after speaking out against Leah Thomas
During his opening remarks, Gaines expressed his amazement at leading packed arenas and rooms full of supporters standing up for the simple truth: biological men should not compete against women.
“This is what courage looks like. This is what leadership looks like,” said Gaines, introducing the Wolf Pack at Saturday’s event.
Gaines is still surprised by those who claim there are no physical differences between women and trans athletes. Despite evidence suggesting that women may be at risk due to trans athletes, some still refuse to acknowledge these differences.
Gaines mentioned the 2022 Peyton McNabb incident that left the young woman with permanent head trauma after competing against a volleyball player posing as a trans athlete.
Gaines also welcomed a young woman named Kendall Lewis to the stage.
Lewis’ testimony comes from her experience on the Galena High School volleyball team, where she witnessed a first-hand account of competing against a man labeled as a Washoe County High School trans athlete.
Lewis didn’t wait for data, nor did he start earning a degree in biology, to call out the obvious: These boys can hit harder than girls.
These women can admit basic truths.
“We are educated enough and we understand the difference between a male and a female athlete,” Liili told the packed convention center.
After giving a platform to women who have seen the consequences of having to go up against transathletes in competition, Riley offered a challenge to naysayers.
Gaines challenged detractors who label women who oppose trans athletes as “bigots” simply listenand singled out several people who are part of the ongoing battle. People like NCAA President Charlie Baker and Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, who she says are behind “ignorance of biology” or vague policies that consider gender identity more important than biological sex.
Past cases involving trans athletes in women’s sports have shown that their inclusion can take away opportunities and create physical risks for female athletes.
As Baker and Nevarez continue to search for “answers,” the number of these cases is likely to grow—which will negatively impact young female athletes.
Leaders have long hidden behind ignorance, but brave women like Gaines and Lily are boldly lifting that veil and revealing the truth.
Nevada co-captain Sia Lilly defends women against trans athletes (OutKick: Alejandro Avila)
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