By james art RENO, Nev. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) – Members of the University of Nevada-Reno women’s volleyball team attended a Women’s Sports Are Women Only rally on Saturday.
It is the latest development in a dispute that has been brewing for weeks.
The event drew a large gathering of supporters to hear the players speak at the same time the Wolf Pack was scheduled to play San Jose State University (SJSU).
Nevada players voted to cancel the game against the Spartans, who reportedly have a transgender woman on the roster. The players cited safety and fairness concerns in refusing to take the court for a contest that the university administration said could not be taken away due to state and federal laws.
“It was important not only for the girls now playing against a biological male, but also for the future of women’s sport. I mean, this guy taking an opportunity from a woman who, just like me, has worked her whole life to get to I dream of being a D-1 collegiate athlete, me and my teammates decided that this is something that we wouldn’t support it and we need to talk about it.”
Sia LiiLii, UN-Reno volleyball team
“I feel… I mean the situation is pretty tough, but as we talked about [at the rally]there’s two genders, so I’d say there’s obviously no winners or losers in this situation, so, I mean, they have to deal with it in their own way.”
Masyn Navarro UN-Reno Volleyball Team
Utah State, University of Wyoming, Boise State and Southern Utah University have lost games against SJSU in recent weeks.