Women’s Volleyball Player Accused of Conspiring with Trans Athlete Kneels During Anthem

A story already full of twists and turns took yet another turn on Friday, as one of the women’s volleyball players accused of conspiring with transgender San Jose State player Blaire Fleming to inure one of her teammates took a knee before her team’s semifinal match.

Malaya Jones, who is accused of meeting secretly with Fleming to alter a game’s outcome and injure San Jose State player Brooke Slusser, took a knee along with two other Colorado Stat players before their match against San Diego State.

After the game, Colorado State head coach Emily Kohan supported her players and their political statement.

The allegations arose from a Title IX suit filed by San Jose State Assistant Head Coach Melissa Batie-Smoose. The Mountain West Conference opened an investigation into the allegations but closed it without punishing Jones or Fleming. Batie-Smoose, however, was suspended after filing the complaint.

San Jose State volleyball player Chandler Manusky revealed the alleged plot in a different lawsuit. She said she, Fleming, and other teammates defied team rules and snuck out of their hotel to meet with Jones.

“Manusky said that at Jones’ residence, Fleming had shared with Jones the scouting for the CSU-FC game, and they had discussed Fleming ‘throw[ing] the game’ and how they would set up Jones to ‘blow up’ Slusser and ‘blast’ her in the face during the game,” the suit states.

Colorado State defeated San Diego State on Friday, resulting in a conference championship matchup on Saturday between Jones, Colorado State, and Fleming and San Jose State.