FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The mother of a Division 1 women’s volleyball player sent an open letter to university presidents Sunday asking them to support female players who are boycotting a volleyball team with a male player who identifies as transgender.
“Safe and fair play in the Mountain West Conference women’s volleyball teams has failed,” the mother’s letter to university presidents says. “The governing body has a duty to protect our young adult women’s safety on the court [and] in the locker room and provide a level[,] fair playing field.”
April Chainey, whose daughter plays D1 NCAA volleyball, is spearheading the effort to protect women’s sports in the Mountain West Conference in light of the fact that player Blaire Fleming—a male who identifies as female and was born Brayden, according to Reduxx—led San Jose State University to an undefeated season.
Chainey’s daughter is scheduled to face Fleming later this season.
The Mountain West Conference did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment.
The volleyball mom said she believes the NCAA is threatening the safety of female athletes, including her daughter, by allowing a transgender person to compete against women.
“I am scared for every single player that has to play against them because there’s that potential of a higher risk,” Chainey told The Daily Signal. “The ball is moving faster. It’s stronger. Every male person is biologically made bigger, faster, and stronger.”
Chainey mailed the letter to the presidents of San Jose State University, University of Nevada-Reno, San Diego State University, University of Wyoming, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Boise State University, University of New Mexico, Colorado State University, Fresno State University, Utah State University, and the Air Force Academy.
“Many governors have asked for clear guidance from the NCAA. Now I ask you, as the president of your institution, to support our Mountain West Athletic Conference women[’s] volleyball athletes to boycott matches against San Jose State University,” the letter says.
Chainey calls on teams to boycott San Jose State University volleyball, even though it would count as a loss for their teams, unless the NCAA decides to separate sports by biological sex.
Southern Utah University canceled a Sept. 14 game against San Jose State, leading to speculation that it did so to protect its female athletes.
Southern Utah neither confirmed nor denied this speculation, according to OutKick.
Fleming is a 6-foot-1 redshirt junior. The volleyball player transferred from Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina to San Jose State before the 2021-2022 season. In May 2022, the Save Women’s Sports Act took effect in South Carolina, prohibiting biological males from competing in girls and women’s sports.
California law allows transgender-identifying athletes to compete on teams based on their gender identity.
Chainey said former and current volleyball players, coaches, and other parents are on her side, but many are afraid to speak up. She said she is working to get more members of the volleyball community to take a stand for women’s sports.
“Being afraid to speak is not freedom,” Chainey said. “Being truthful is not unkind, and being coerced is not consent. And the NCAA is providing an environment for all of these to thrive in.”
The mother of another D1 volleyball player whose team played Fleming in the preseason told The Daily Signal that her daughter was afraid to face a male. She requested to remain anonymous, citing her daughter’s privacy.
“My daughter said, ‘I’m going to get concussed,’” she said. “She’s anticipating getting hit in the face down the line.”
