SJ State wraps up trans controversy

It turned out to be a fizzle

Well, we watched the controversial women’s volleyball championship Saturday.

On one side was San Jose State, which had sent the MAGA universe into hysterics because an alleged trans athlete had been playing with the team for three years. The opponent was Colorado State and the winner advanced to the NCAA championships.

And, as everyone predicted, one of the players absolutely dominated. She blasted some spikes that were almost terrifying. More than once an opponent who was attempting to return one of the thunderbolts ended up knocked flat on her butt.

You didn’t have to watch for five minutes to single her out as the best player on the floor.

That was Malaya Jones, a six-foot Colorado State senior.

In the four-match CSU win Jones had 26 kills and three blocks. Nobody else was even close. The player with the most kills for San Jose was Blair Fleming with nine.

No wonder Jones was named the conference MVP.

As for the national hysteria over the dangers and fear of a trans athlete playing — and overpowering — women players, that was mostly a fizzle.

The alleged (she hasn’t identified) trans player was perfectly fine. She made some good plays, but a case could be made some of her teammates had better games.

She certainly didn’t stand out. If it wasn’t for the screaming headlines, you probably wouldn’t have noticed she was playing.

Which is exactly how it went for the previous three years when she played for the Spartans and nobody was threatened or said a word.

At this game, not only were there no protesters or signs or chants, there was hardly anyone at the game. The streaming video camera showed the stands on one side of the gym. They were not even close to half-full. There were rows of empty seats.

You wouldn’t even know this was a national story — covered by ESPN, the Washington Post and New York Times — if you hadn’t checked the quotes by San Jose State coach Todd Kress.

"This has been one of the most difficult seasons I've ever experienced and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along,” Kress said. “Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities."

Incredibly, the player who caused this whole media meltdown, who joined in a lawsuit that attempted to ban the trans player from the tournament, Brooke Slusser, played side-by-side with the woman in the championship game, cheering her good plays and grinning happily at her in team huddles.

That dynamic is beyond me, although you have to admire the focus.

The allegedly trans player continued to play, although Fox News repeatedly identified her and ran her photo.

And make no mistake, there were people who had been whipped up into a frenzy. The team got so many threats it began to travel with a security detail.

Teams in the conference announced they wouldn’t play the Spartans, resulting in six forfeits — counted as wins — before the tournament and one, Boise State, forfeiting in the semi-final.

“Sadly,” Kress said after the game, “. . .(schools) who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout. Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff, and many associated with our program."

CSU, to its credit, stood up and played in the championship game — and won it.

And just that quickly it was over.

Slusser and the alleged trans player are seniors. This was the last game of the season, and probably the end of their volleyball careers.

They played together on a mediocre team (ranked 119 in the country) for three uneventful years.

And then, in the final week, Slusser and her trans-phobic group made the last few days on the San Jose State team a living hell.

It raises the question.

Why?

Contact C.W. Nevius at cwnevius@gmail.com. Twitter and threads @cwnevius