What to know about the San Jose State volleyball team and why opponents are boycotting matches

The San Jose State women’s volleyball team finds itself at the center of a storm as the Spartans make a run toward their first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than two decades.

Overshadowing the program’s strong season are national talk-show hosts and politicians weighing in on one of its players. At issue is the participation of transgender women in women’s sports, which has taken on political implications — former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, recently spoke about the issue — and is apparently why five teams have canceled their games against San Jose State.

On Thursday night, the University of Nevada, Reno, became the latest team to call off a game against the Spartans, citing not enough players. The Wolf Pack were originally scheduled to host San Jose State this weekend but Nevada players announced they wouldn’t take the court, saying they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Nevada’s athletic department said it wouldn’t back out from the match, referencing state equality laws, but also said that no players will be disciplined if they do not participate.

The game was switched to San Jose, California, “in the interest of both programs,” the teams said in a joint statement — with no further explanation — before Nevada elected to forfeit.