**San Jose State Faces Controversy as They Head into Mountain West Semifinals**

The San Jose State women's volleyball team is set to compete in the Mountain West Conference semifinals this Friday, under the shadow of unparalleled controversy. Earlier in the season, five opposing schools forfeited their matches against San Jose State, citing various unspecific reasons. These schools include Utah State, which is seeded third, and Boise State, which holds the sixth seed. The winner of their Wednesday match will face San Jose State in Friday’s semifinals.

During the regular season, Wyoming, Nevada, and Southern Utah also chose to forfeit their games against the Spartans without clearly stating their motives. Nevada players, however, mentioned fairness in women's sports as a reason for their boycott. Political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada have also hinted that the forfeitures were to protect women’s sports.

The controversy largely revolves around Blaire Fleming, who has been identified in multiple reports as a transgender player on the San Jose State team. Team captain Brooke Slusser voiced her discontent with how the university has handled the matter, highlighting the lack of support for other team members. Slusser emphasized, "This isn't just something that Blaire's going through. This is something that I'm going through, too, and my teammates."

Recent legal battles ensued, with a lawsuit filed against the NCAA citing concerns over Fleming’s participation. Both an initial ruling and an appeals court decision permitted Fleming to compete in the tournament. Following these rulings, San Jose State declared their commitment to an inclusive and fair competitive environment.

As the Spartans prepare for their match on Friday, Boise State and Utah State are yet to comment on potential matchups. Should Utah State or Boise State forfeit, San Jose State would advance directly to the conference title game. The likely opponents in the final would include top-seeded Colorado State, Fresno State, or San Diego State—teams that have already competed against the Spartans this season.

The winning team of the Mountain West Conference tournament will secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, raising the stakes even higher for all involved.