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It will always be a difficult act to follow.
The San Jose State University volleyball team was eliminated from the Mountain West Tournament after losing on Saturday to University of NevadaLas Vegas, and finished the season below .500 with a 13-16 overall record and 8-10 in conference play.
SJSU exceeded expectations, finishing seventh in the Mountain West after being expected to finish 11th in the conference's preseason coaches poll following a controversy involving trans athlete Blair Fleming in 2024.
Head coach Todd Kress led last year's team to the conference finals, but they had eight wins, including the conference semifinals, which were awarded a forfeit. SJSU previously reached the conference finals with Fleming in 2022, the trans athlete's first year with the Spartans under former head coach Trent Kersten.
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Controversies involving Fleming led to two lawsuits in the 2024 season, a federal investigation conducted by US Department of Education and a mass exodus of players. At least seven of the team's returning 2024 players entered the transfer portal in December following the season.
controversial 2024 season included eight lost matches, regular police protection, national scrutiny and internal unrest between players and coaches.
Kress previously said the 2024 season was one of the “toughest” of his life. Kress is ranked 21st in NCAA Women's Volleyball history of victories as a head coach.
“This has been one of the most difficult seasons I have ever experienced and I know that is true for many of our players and staff who have supported us throughout this time. My priorities were staying focused on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the outside noise,” Kress said.
Kersten was the coach who recruited Fleming to SJSU as a transfer from Coastal Carolina. Kersten then retired after the 2022 season and was replaced by Kress.
Former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser committed to SJSU from Alabama in the 2023 class.
Then, in September 2024, Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging that SJSU officials withheld information about Fleming's birth gender from her and other players on the team. Slusser alleged that she was forced to share changing and sleeping areas with Fleming, not knowing that Fleming was a biological male.
Slusser, along with several other Mountain West players, filed a separate lawsuit in November 2024 against the conference and San Jose State over Fleming's presence. That lawsuit included testimony from former San Jose State volleyball players Alisa Sugai and Elle Patterson claiming they were denied scholarships in favor of Fleming.
Assistant coach Melissa Batey-Smoose was suspended from the program in early November after she filed a Title IX complaint against the university for showing favoritism toward Fleming over other players, especially Slusser. Batey-Smouse's complaint also included allegations that Fleming conspired to punch Slusser in the face.
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Brooke Slusser (10) and Blair Fleming (3) of the San Jose State Spartans call the play during the first set against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court at the East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Vevers/Getty Images)
Batey-Smouse's contract was not renewed by the school at the end of January. Coach then filed her own lawsuit v. Board of Regents of the California State University (CSU) System. SJSU is one of 23 California schools in the system.
Batey-Smooth told Fox News Digital that SJSU granted Fleming a special exemption that was not granted to female athletes.
“Not showing up to practice without any excuse, sitting in the stands and eating during practice, things like that,” Baty-Smooth said of the special exceptions reserved exclusively for Fleming.
Fleming previously responded to Baty-Smouse's statement and addressed Slusser in a conversation with Fox News Digital on social media.
“The only time I came to practice ‘no excuses’ and sat in the stands was when I was injured and couldn’t play. Brooke Slusser and Melissa need to start a new life,” Fleming said.
Following the 2024 volleyball season, Slusser fled SJSU after frequent alleged harassment and threats from other students in response to her statements against Fleming and the program last fall. She returned to her parents' home in Texas to finish the school year remotely and now works as a youth volleyball coach in North Carolina.
In May, Fleming celebrated his graduation from SJSU in a social media post.
The University of Nevada at Reno, which was embroiled in the 2024 controversy for trying to force its players to compete against SJSU and Fleming despite choosing to lose, finished the 2025 season in 11th place with an 8-20 record and 4-14 in conference play.
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