Women’s volleyball activists react to California high school team forfeiting to opponent with trans athlete

A high school girls’ volleyball team in California garnered national attention on Friday when its players forfeited to a team with a trans athlete on its roster. Now, three women who saw their own volleyball careers affected by a trans competitor have spoken out in response. 

Riverside Poly High School announced its girls’ volleyball team forfeited to Jurupa Valley High School’s team, which rosters well-known trans teen AB Hernandez. Riverside Poly did not cite a specific reason for the forfeit in its statement, but multiple parents and a school board member told Fox News Digital it was due to the presence of the trans athlete.

Former high school girls’ volleyball player and current activist Payton McNabb suffered permanent brain damage after being spiked in the head by a male opponent in a 2022 game. McNabb commended the Riverside Poly girls for refusing to take the court against Jurupa Valley. 

“I applaud these girls! They were put in a situation no young athlete should ever face – choosing between their safety and their sport. I’ve been there. I still live with the consequences of being injured by a male athlete on the court. There’s a reason the boys’ net is seven inches higher – because the game is different,” McNabb told Fox News Digital. 

“What these girls did took real courage, and it’s devastating that they’re the ones paying the price for decisions made by adults.” 

Two former women’s college volleyball players who forfeited games to a team with a trans athlete last season also praised the Riverside Poly players. 

San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team saw seven of its games forfeited by opponents amid a national controversy involving trans athlete Blaire Fleming. 

One of the teams to forfeit to SJSU was the Univeristy of Wyoming, which sacrificed an Oct. 5 game as the controversy involving Fleming grew. Former Wyoming player Macey Boggs told Fox News Digital she stands with the Riverside Poly players. 

“It takes courage to stand up. I’m so proud of them for doing what is right. Women fought for us in the past and it’s time for this generation to step up and fight for the women to come. It is refreshing to see this and very encouraging. I look up to these women. And I will continue to stand unapologetically for the truth with them,” Boggs said. 

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Meanwhile, the University of Nevada, Reno women’s volleyball players had to fight their own school just for the right to forfeit against SJSU later that month. The Nevada players approached university administrators privately to express their desire to forfeit the match and join four other programs that refused to play SJSU. But Nevada did not honor that request and instead released a statement insisting it would play the match.

Nevada ultimately forfeited the day before the match, due to not having enough players. However, the university previously told Fox news Digital it had discussions with the players about potential “legal issues” that would emerge if the match were not played. 

Nevada captain Sia Liilii led her players in their resistance to face SJSU last season, and took on a key public role in the national debate over trans athletes in women’s sports that partially defined the 2024 election season. Liilii met with GOP lawmakers during the conflict with her school, and gave an emotional speech at a press conference speaking out against her school the day the game was supposed to be played on Oct. 26.

Now, Liilii says she “applauds” the Riverside Poly players for their stand. 

“I would like to applaud the Riverside Poly Volleyball team for standing up for themselves by sacrificing a loss for the future of girls’ and women’s sports. I would also like to commend its school administration for prioritizing the rights and safety of their female student athletes, something I was not afforded by my university when faced with this situation. I am proud to say I stand with the Riverside Poly Volleyball team!” Liilii told Fox News Digital. 

Months after the SJSU volleyball season ended, Hernandez was the focus of a national media firestorm in May during the athlete’s run to a California girls track and field championship. The postseason meets that Hernandez competed in were met with protests by female athletes and their families, who often wore “Save Girls Sports” shirts.

Hernandez’s run seemingly drew a response from President Donald Trump, who posted a Truth Social message the week leading up to the state final advising the state not to allow a trans athlete to compete. Trump did not reference Hernandez directly in the post.  

In response to Trump’s warning, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) amended its policies in the days prior to the event to ensure that any female athlete who finished behind a trans athlete at the championship would be bumped up one spot. This resulted in Hernandez sharing the first-place spots on the medal podium in high jump and triple jump, and the second-place podium spot in long jump at the state meet. 

However, in July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and CIF for its policies that have allowed biological males to compete in girls’ sports across the state despite Trump signing an executive order in February to prohibit it. 

Jurupa Valley provided a statement to Fox News Digital Friday addressing Riverside Poly’s forfeit. 

“We were notified that Riverside Poly High School canceled today’s scheduled girls volleyball match with Jurupa Valley High School. They did not disclose the reason. We have no additional comment at this time,” the statement said.

Jurupa Valley’s next girls’ volleyball game is set for Aug. 25 against Rim of The World High School. 

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