The San Jose State volleyball team is currently guaranteed to face a team in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament that it already lost to during the regular season.
San Jose State has had six of its conference titles this season awarded with forfeits amid national controversy over the team's athleticism. With those wins, the team finished with a 12-6 conference record and earned a first round berth in the upcoming tournament.
Now, they are guaranteed to play in the semi-finals. The opponent they will face in that game is guaranteed to be one of the four teams that refused to play with them in the regular season. Utah State and Boise State will play in a quarterfinal game that will determine who will face the Spartans in the next round.
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Blair Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans reacts during the Air Force Falcons game on Oct. 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Boise State was so reluctant to play San Jose State during the regular season that it lost two scheduled games against the Spartans, taking a conference loss from its record. Meanwhile, Utah State, which has lost just one game, joins the charge against the Mountain West in Fleming's presence as it looks to reverse that loss.
On the other side of the bracket, Colorado State holds the No. 1 seed. 1 in the competition. Colorado State played both games against San Jose State this year, as the teams split the series. Fresno State and San Diego State, the other two teams that have played the Spartans during this year's controversy, will face off in the quarterfinals for the right to face Colorado State.
But there will be uncertainty in the San Jose State semifinals, regardless of which team advances to that round, under the current setup.
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Blair Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans attacks the net against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court in the East Gym on Oct. 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
Spartans captain Brooke Slusser, who has been arrested on two charges over the presence of teammate Blaire Fleming, previously told Fox News Digital that her team does not even know what their upcoming opponents will face.
“We're just wondering, will the teams play with us, when, when we go there? Because of everything that happened this season,” said Slusser. “It seems like every few days it's going to be a good day and everything is normal and then something else happens. So, I think everybody just takes things day by day and takes the punches as they come.”
A spokesperson for the Mountain West previously told Fox News digital that the conference is preparing San Jose State, and all of its opponents to compete, but also has a plan in place in the event of a loss. That plan includes a willingness to accept the winner of the conference finals if the opponent in that game loses, the spokesman said.
“If we get to the championship game, and San Jose State is playing against anybody, if that institution loses that game, San Jose State will win that game, and then they will be the tournament champions. And they will be the top team in the Mountain West,” the spokesman said.
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Colorado State University Police. behind the San Jose State University Spartans bench, guard Moby Arena during an NCAA Mountain West women's volleyball game against the Colorado State Rams in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Oct. 03, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
However, that plan could change pending a decision by a federal judge in Colorado after an emergency hearing Thursday. Judge Kato Crews presided over the trial after plaintiffs, including Utah State, argued that Fleming should not be allowed to compete in the tournament.
Crews, who was appointed by President Biden in January, devoted the first 45 minutes of the trial to a discussion between the plaintiffs and defendants about what pronouns should be used when describing Fleming and whether Fleming's name should be used during the hearing to preserve privacy. . The judge eventually decided to use his own pronoun when referring to Fleming but told everyone they could use any pronouns they wanted.
Staff concluded the hearing by saying they would rule on the case “in due course.” The tournament is expected to start next Wednesday.
San Jose State has repeatedly defended Fleming's presence on the team.
“All of our athletes are in compliance with NCAA and Mountain West Conference policy and are eligible to play under those organizations' rules. Members of our volleyball team have earned the right to compete, and we are deeply disappointed with them and with them that they are being denied those opportunities and forfeits. We are proud of the way they have persevered through these challenges. in court,” said a statement provided to Fox News Digital by a university spokesperson.
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