Colorado State advances to MW volleyball finals and will take the court against San Jose State

LAS VEGAS – Colorado State coach Emily Kohan said her team will take the stand rather than become the latest team to lose to San Jose State after the top-seeded Rams advanced to the tournament finals of Mountain West volleyball on Friday.

An automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament is on the line in Saturday’s final.

Colorado State reached the finals by beating fifth-seeded San Diego State 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23.

Boise State, which twice boycotted regular-season games against San Jose State, withdrew from the conference tournament Wednesday night, hours after defeating Utah State to clinch a spot against the Spartans in Friday’s semifinals.

While the Broncos did not explicitly announce why they withdrew, players from several schools recently filed a lawsuit in Colorado against the conference and San Jose State officials asking that a Spartans player be barred from participating in the tournament. They cited unspecified reports claiming there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, and even named her.

Federal Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver ruled Monday that the player was allowed to play, and a federal appeals court upheld the decision the next day.

“It’s been a really complex and emotional situation for us this season,” Colorado State’s Kohan said. “Unless you’re in those rooms having those difficult conversations and making those difficult decisions, I don’t think you really know what this feels like. I also think that, regardless of your opinion on it, there is room here to recognize that there has been a lot of young demonstrating bravery throughout the season.

“This can end us. “We are not going to pass these difficult conversations on to the NCAA committee or any other team to have those crying conversations in the hotel.”

San Jose State, which received six forfeited wins due to opponent boycotts during the regular season, is in second place in the conference tournament and received a first-round bye.

Boise State was the last school to forfeit. The Broncos’ athletic department released a statement Wednesday night saying their team “should not have to miss this opportunity while waiting for a better, more thoughtful system that serves all athletes.”

In addition to Boise State, Mountain West members Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada, as well as Southern Utah, have canceled games this season against the Spartans. The Nevada players said they “refuse to participate in any game that promotes injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details.

While some outlets have reported those and other details, San Jose State has not confirmed that the school has a trans female volleyball player. The Associated Press is not revealing the player’s name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity and, through school officials, has declined an interview request.

Transgender women’s participation in women’s sports became a hot-button political issue ahead of the recent election.

Two protesters from Davis, California, stood outside Cox Pavilion before and during the semifinal game between Colorado State and San Diego State on Friday. They supported teams that lost games against San Jose State, arguing that the Spartans had an unfair athletic advantage.