For the second game in a row, three Colorado State women’s volleyball players, including a player alleged to have conspired with San Jose State’s trans player to injure her teammate, took a knee during the anthem.
Malaya Jones and two of her teammates knelt during the national anthem on Saturday, as they had done on Friday.
Jones is accused of meeting with San Jose State transgender player Blaire Fleming and receiving scouting reports about San Jose State, in addition to conspiring with Fleming to injure San Jose State player Brooke Slusser during a game.
Slusser has joined a lawsuit against San Jose State and the NCAA for allegedly making her share living spaces and changing spaces with Fleming and not informing her that her teammate was a man.
Colorado State head coach Emily Kohan defended her protesting players and said that the trio have been kneeling during the anthem since their freshman year.
“They’ve knelt since their freshman year when the Black Lives Matter movement was going on, and, in this program, we raise critical thinkers to make decisions for what’s important to them,” Kohan said. “And, for those three, they’re Black players, and it’s been important to them for five years. And they’ve stood their ground for saying that this is something that they believe in, and we’ve all supported them.”
San Jose State ascended to the championship game after Boise State forfeited their semifinal match against them due to Fleming’s presence on the team. Boise State also declined to play San Jose State twice during the regular season in protest of the transgender player.
Colorado State defeated San Jose State in the Mountain West Championship game, likely ending Fleming’s volleyball career.