Nevada AD addresses allegations of pushing volleyball women to face trans athlete, says she apologized
Nevada Women’s Volleyball captain Sia Liilii shares her team’s decision to forfeit their match against a transgender athlete during an appearance on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
The University of Nevada, Reno athletic director Stephanie Rempe addressed a recent national controversy surrounding her women's volleyball program in a statement to Fox News Digital.
A dispute between volleyball players and the athletic department over whether to compete against a team with a trans athlete resulted in a last-minute forfeit due to not having enough players to participate on Friday. Players had told the university they did not want to play the match, but the program refused to forfeit until the day before it was scheduled.
Team captain Sia Liilii then alleged that the school told her and her teammates that "they didn't understand the science" and to "reconsider their position," at a press conference on Saturday.
On Sunday, Liilii alleged that she and her teammates were told the trans opponent "was at a disadvantage" due to the medication taken to transition from male to female, during the "Stand With Women" event in Philadelphia.
Sophomore Masyn Navarro alleged her teammates had been told to "stay quiet" about the controversy during the Saturday press conference but did not specify who told them.
"It should not be this difficult to stand up for women. However, we will now take this opportunity to stand up as a team, as some who have been told to stay quiet," Navarro said.
Rempe said she has "no knowledge" of the incidents cited by Liilii or Navarro, but she did confirm that she and deputy athletic director Merlene Aitken-Smith held at least one private meeting with the players.
"The deputy athletic director and I met with the