On the court, the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team appears like any other collegiate squad. At a recent match, players executed sharp, rhythmic movements, setting and spiking the ball, jumping high to block opponents’ shots, all while wearing the blue and gold uniforms of the Spartans.

Off the court, however, the team is grappling with a season marked by tension, emotional strain, confusion, and frustration. The players find themselves at the center of a heated debate over one of the most controversial issues in American society: whether a transgender woman should be allowed to compete on a women’s sports team.

The controversy began in April, when a conservative news outlet revealed that one of the San Jose State players was transgender, catching some of her teammates off guard.

Earlier this month, the team’s senior co-captain and assistant coach filed a lawsuit to block the transgender athlete from participating in the upcoming Mountain West Conference tournament. They argued that her inclusion violated Title IX, which guarantees gender equality in federally funded educational programs and activities.

Joined by 10 female volleyball players from teams that compete against the Spartans, they sued the head coach, two administrators from San Jose State, the Mountain West Conference, and the entire board of trustees of the California State University system. Their goal was to bar the player from the tournament, the Spartan program, and potentially from women’s college sports entirely.

Meanwhile, the transgender athlete has remained silent, with the exception of co-captain Brooke Slusser, who is also the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Other teammates, including Slusser’s, declined interview requests. The New York Times has chosen not to name the player, as she has not publicly confirmed her identity and declined an interview through the university.

“We just don’t think it’s fair that a man is allowed to play,” Slusser said in an interview. She admitted that filing the lawsuit was a difficult choice, as she didn’t want to put her team through even more hardship. “But thinking about my future children, imagining them having to compete against a man, I just couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t take action.”

As a result of the controversy, communication among some teammates has broken down, both on the court and off. Head coach Todd Kress has supported the transgender player’s right to compete, which has led to strained relationships with some players outside of the game. Fans have taken sides, waving signs and wearing T-shirts either supporting or opposing the transgender player. Campus police have been called in to manage potential disruptions in recent weeks.

Kress, who has coached at San Jose State for two years, said the turmoil has deeply affected some players. “They’re good people who have found themselves in a very unique situation that challenges their core values,” he said.

A federal judge ruled earlier this week to allow the transgender athlete to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference tournament. Another judge dismissed the plaintiffs’ appeal shortly thereafter.

After receiving a bye in the first round, the Spartans were preparing for a semifinal match on Friday. However, their opponents, Boise State University, chose to forfeit the game for the third time this season due to the presence of the transgender player. Four other teams had previously forfeited their games against San Jose State in protest of transgender women playing on women’s teams.

Boise State explained in a statement that the decision was “not an easy one” but said the team should not be forced to forfeit “while waiting for a more thoughtful system that better serves all athletes.”

San Jose State expressed disappointment over Boise State’s decision, stating in an emailed statement: “While we are disappointed in Boise State’s decision, our women’s volleyball team is preparing for Saturday’s match and looks forward to competing for a championship.”

With the chance to qualify for next month’s N.C.A.A. tournament — where the Spartans will likely face even more attention — they are one win or forfeit away from advancing.

Bonnie Sugiyama, director of the Pride Center and Gender Equity Center at San Jose State, said many in the community have supported the transgender athlete, regardless of her identity, because she is being targeted. “Can you imagine the pressure of being in the national spotlight and even mentioned in a presidential campaign, when all you’re doing is playing a game and following the rules?” Sugiyama said.

The Debate Over Fairness

The separation of men’s and women’s sports exists because biological differences generally give men advantages in speed, strength, and endurance. While these advantages are small before puberty, they become significant during adolescence when testosterone levels in males rise.

The challenge facing sports organizations is balancing fairness in women’s sports with the inclusion of athletes who identify as women. There is still no universally agreed-upon way to ensure that transgender women do not retain any athletic advantage over cisgender women, and the debate continues over whether suppressing testosterone for a certain period of time eliminates this advantage.

The N.C.A.A. has allowed each sport’s governing body to set its own rules. For volleyball, USA Volleyball requires documentation of hormone therapy for transgender athletes who wish to compete in the women’s category. According to the N.C.A.A.’s website, a trans player’s testosterone level must be below 10 nanomoles per liter — much higher than what is typically found in non-transgender women and closer to the range for adult men.

Political figures have also weighed in. During the last campaign, President-elect Donald Trump and other conservative leaders voiced opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports, vowing to take action to prevent it.

Several Republican governors, including those from Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah, publicly supported teams that forfeited games against San Jose State. Some lawmakers even attended a Utah State volleyball game wearing T-shirts that read “BOY-cott.”

Kevin O’Sullivan, whose daughter plays for the Spartans, expressed frustration with how the situation has been politicized. “The rules allow it, and I’ve told my daughter, ‘Can you get over this and just focus on winning?’” O’Sullivan said, adding that he feels empathy for the transgender player. “She’s human, and we shouldn’t be part of a mob mentality.”

For Slusser, a senior from Denton, Texas, this fight has become something she believes is “God’s plan” for her. She said she didn’t realize her teammate was transgender when they first roomed together on away trips. The two had been good friends until an article revealed the player’s gender identity, leaving Slusser feeling betrayed.

She said, “I don’t care how you want to live your life,” but she believes transgender women should not share a room or use the women’s locker room.

Earlier this fall, Slusser joined a federal lawsuit filed against the N.C.A.A. by a group of female athletes, claiming that the organization discriminated against them by allowing the transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete in the 2022 NCAA championships.

Fairness and Safety

Bill Bock, an attorney involved in that case and a former sports lawyer for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, has urged that fairness in women’s sports should be a bipartisan concern. He said, “If you don’t have a fair game, you really don’t have a sport that is meaningful.” He criticized the N.C.A.A. and college administrators for failing to ensure fairness and safety for women.

The Spartans’ assistant coach, Melissa Batie-Smoose, said that when she first arrived at San Jose State nearly two years ago, she was unaware the player was transgender. But after seeing her in action, Batie-Smoose remarked that the player hit and blocked like “a dude,” due to her impressive jumping ability. Batie-Smoose added that she would not have taken the job had she known the player’s gender identity. She also expressed concern that transgender players might take away opportunities from cisgender women. However, she was soon silenced by the administration, which told her she could not discuss the player if she wanted to keep her job.

Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint against the university, claiming it showed favoritism toward the transgender athlete. She was later suspended by the university.

Despite the controversy, Kress remains proud of his team. “This could have broken us, but it didn’t,” he said after the Spartans’ last regular-season match.

As the season progresses, the team is learning to navigate the personal and professional challenges brought on by this dispute. The volleyball court is no longer just a place for competition — it’s become a stage for a nationwide conversation on fairness, inclusion, and the future of women’s sports.