LAS VEGAS — Boise State, which twice boycotted regular-season matches with San Jose State, withdrew from the Mountain West women's volleyball tournament Wednesday night even after securing a spot in the semifinals against the Spartans.
San Jose State, which received six forfeited wins due to boycotts by Mountain West opponents, is in second place in the conference tournament and received a first-round bye. Now the Spartans will advance to Saturday's championship game instead of taking the court on Friday.
“In this time of Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for those who continue to engage in civil and respectful discourse,” San Jose State said in a statement released Thursday. “We celebrate and support all of our students, including our student-athletes, as they compete for our community this holiday weekend. While we are disappointed by Boise State's decision, our women's volleyball team is preparing for the game in the Saturday and hopes to compete for a championship.”
Boise State released a statement saying: “The decision to not continue playing in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not easy. Our team overcame losses to earn a spot in the tournament and battled to victory over Utah State. in Wednesday's first round they shouldn't have to give up this opportunity while they wait for a better, more thoughtful system that serves all athletes.”
Boise State's announcement came hours after the Broncos defeated Utah State 25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23 in the quarterfinals.
Boise State did not commit immediately after the game to play San Jose State. It was unclear what influenced his decision to withdraw from the tournament, whether it was a team vote or a university decision.
The title fight will probably go ahead as planned. San Jose State will play either top-seeded Colorado State or No. 5 San Diego State. Both teams played the Spartans this season instead of losing.
The Mountain West, Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada, as well as Southern Utah, canceled games this season against the Spartans. The Nevada players stated that they “refuse to participate in any game that promotes injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details.
Players from several schools recently filed a lawsuit in Colorado against the conference and San Jose State officials asking that a Spartans player not be allowed to participate in the tournament, citing unspecified reports that there was a transgender player in volleyball. from the state of San José. team, even naming it.
Federal Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver ruled Monday that the player can play, and a federal appeals court upheld the decision the next day.
The volleyball player has not discussed her identity and San Jose State has not commented on her identity due to federal privacy laws. ESPN is not naming the player.
Wyoming and Nevada did not qualify for the tournament.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
