The college volleyball season was further plunged into the debate over transgender athletes this week as video emerged of San Jose State University’s Blaire Fleming sending a ferocious spike off an opponent’s face.
Fleming, a redshirt senior, is reportedly transgender and has been cited as the reason four schools have forfeited matches against San Jose State this season over reported safety concerns.
Thursday’s incident took place on the SJSU campus with the San Diego State Aztecs leading the Spartans 22-12 in the second set. It was then that Fleming was set up by teammate Brooke Slusser before rocketing a spike off the face of San Diego State’s Keira Herron.
‘Keira Herron has some pink in her hair and her face is starting to look like she’s matching that as obviously she took the contact,’ one announcer said in the video, which has since gone viral.
Remarkably, Herron kept the play alive, albeit only momentarily before the point ultimately went to the Spartans. And what’s more, she was even laughing afterwards while appearing to tell a teammate that she was ‘fine.’
Fleming (circled) took a set from teammate Brooke Slusser before spiking the ball
SDSU’s Keira Herron took a spike off the face, but laughed it off and said she was ‘fine’
SJSU’s Blaire Fleming (pictured) has not come out publicly as transgender
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‘Gotta feel a little embarrassed as she tries to laugh off that last ball,’ the announcer added.
San Jose State would go on to lose in straight sets (25-21, 25-18, 25-19), falling to 9-2 on the season.
But it’s not the Spartans descent in the Mountain West standings that sparked outrage online. Instead it was the presence of Fleming, who continues to face online criticism.
‘SJSU’s male player, Blaire Fleming blasts another strike to the face of a female opponent in tonight’s match up with [San Diego State],’ read a post from the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS).
‘Come on NCAA, Ban the Man from women’s volleyball,’ read one comment, of which there were hundreds.
‘Taking the spots and scholarships of women isn’t kind and if they win, it is quite meaningless because of the advantages,’ another commenter wrote. ‘Don’t confuse kindness and fairness.’
SJSU coach Todd Kress addressed the controversy after Thursday’s loss, revealing that the team has received a significant amount of hate mail.
‘Concentrating on what we can do on the court has, quite frankly, been very tough lately,’ he said, as quoted by mynbc15.com. ‘There have been outside forces who have sought to divide our team, our university, our conference and our sport. I know it’s been weighing on the players in our locker room who have put in years of hard work.’
Asked about the hate mail, Kress said ‘some of it, to be honest, is disgusting.’
‘I’m more worried about our student-athletes and what they receive and how that’s impacting their mental health,’ he continued.
‘We have an incredible group of young women who are trying to put the controversy aside. I just have faith that we’ll eventually be able to put the outside noise aside and be able to play for each other and find love for one another again.’
Fleming (bottom left) is pictured with her San Jose State University teammates
Fleming, who stands 6-foot-1, ranks third in the Mountain West in kills and second in points
ICONS has been central to the controversy surrounding Blaire, who was outed as transgender in a September article by OutKick.com. Fleming has been cleared by San Jose State to play for the SJSU women’s volleyball team for three seasons, joining in 2022.
The Mountain West Conference has been notified by ICONS about athletes’ safety concerns regarding Fleming, who was named in a federal lawsuit filed by the organization. Slusser, the SJSU player who set Fleming up for the aforementioned spike, has since joined that lawsuit.
One motion obtained by DailyMail.com claims that Slusser voiced concerns about safety to school officials. Furthermore, Slusser says she was told by the school to refrain from speaking about the gender identity of teammates.
San Jose State has thus far declined to address the gender identity of any of its players.
‘We are operating our program under the regulations of both the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference,’ read a statement provided to DailyMail.com last month. ‘Our student athletes are in full compliance with NCAA rules and regulations.
‘We will not address the gender identity of any student as they are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).’
Fleming, who stands 6-foot-1, currently ranks third in the Mountain West in kills and second in overall points.