[No. 2 seed San Jose State lost to No. 1 seed Colorado State in the Mountain West Conference volleyball final on Saturday at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The Rams won in four sets: 27-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16, clinching an automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament.
The loss means San Jose State’s chance of making the tournament takes a hit, with the championship bracket to be announced on Sunday. San Jose State head coach Todd Kress praised his team’s effort, saying they played their hearts out despite the ongoing controversy surrounding a Spartans player’s gender.
The controversy has been ongoing for months, with multiple teams in the Mountain West Conference and one other team refusing to play against San Jose State. A federal lawsuit was filed earlier this month seeking to stop the player from competing in championship games. The player’s gender has not been publicly disclosed, and neither the player nor San Jose State University has commented on the matter.
Kress expressed frustration with the external noise surrounding the team, saying they had prepared and were ready to play according to established rules. He also criticized the hateful messages sent to his student-athletes and coaching staff after each forfeiture announcement.
The first and second rounds of the tournament are scheduled to begin on December 5 and run through December 7, with the national championship game on December 22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
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