Insufficient evidence in volleyball’s Title IX complaint involving San Jose St.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Mountain West Conference concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine misconduct between Colorado State girls volleyball players and San Jose State program before the game last month after the coach filed a Title IX complaint alleging the student-athletes tried to rig the competition.

San Jose State assistant head coach Melissa Batey-Smoose made the allegations to the conference on Oct. 29, the Mountain West announced Saturday, releasing a letter from deputy commissioner Bret Gilliland to two university athletic directors that shared the results of the investigation. .

“Upon receiving this information, the Mountain West Conference office, in coordination with both member institutions, immediately began a thorough investigation into these serious allegations,” Gilliland wrote.

San Jose State announced Saturday that Batey-Smooz is currently out of the lineup. She alleged that players from each team “conspired to rig the competition” during an Oct. 3 game in Fort Collins, Colo., according to an emailed letter Gilliland provided to the San Jose State Associated Press. .

“We appreciate the thorough and impartial investigation conducted by the Mountain West Conference,” the school said in a statement Saturday. “The report is consistent with our internal findings.”

It’s another challenge the Spartans have faced during their 14-5 season. They defeated Colorado State 3-2 at home on Saturday San Jose State suffered its first loss since the Rams were fired up on Oct. 3 after a 9-0 start.

Southern Utah, Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada all canceled games against the Spartans this season, and Nevada’s players said they “refuse to participate in any game that promotes injustice against female athletes,” without providing additional details.

Since Boise State, Wyoming State, Utah State and Nevada are members of the Mountain West Conference, these contests are considered losses and count as San Jose State wins.

In a separate lawsuit filed against the NCAAthe plaintiffs cited anonymous reports that claimed the San Jose State volleyball team had a transgender player, even naming her. While some media outlets have reported these and other details, neither San Jose State nor the wrestling teams have confirmed that the school has a transgender volleyball player. The AP is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and declined an interview request through school officials.

Last week, a separate lawsuit was filed in Colorado by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials, who called for a Spartans player to be barred from the Mountain West volleyball championships Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas. vegas

San Jose State coach Todd Kress supported the conference in its determination that the Colorado State game was not rigged.

“The findings of the Mountain West’s investigation into this matter are consistent with our own internal findings and my review of the game film with the Colorado State head coach,” Kress said in a statement provided to the AP. “As I’ve said, there’s a lot of misrepresentation in the media about this issue, and I think these findings highlight that. From day one, my top priority as head coach of the San Jose State women’s volleyball team has been to build a team with integrity, and we look forward to continuing our season.”