Bay Area girls volleyball team advances to NorCal final via forfeit as opponent cites ‘male athlete’ concern

The NorCal girls volleyball playoffs were upended by a forfeit by a Central Valley school alleging that its Bay Area opponent had a “male athlete” on its team.

On Friday, Stone Ridge Christian High School of Merced forfeited its California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Division VI volleyball match scheduled for Saturday night against San Francisco Waldorf, citing religious beliefs and saying, “We do not believe sex is changeable.”

“As many of you know, our girls won on Wednesday and advanced to the state playoffs,” the school said in an email to parents. “Unfortunately, we were just informed that our opponent, San Francisco Waldorf, has a male athlete playing for their team.”

San Francisco Waldorf officials did not respond to the Bay Area News Group’s request for comment. Neither did Stone Ridge Christian officials. 

This is Waldorf’s first forfeit win this season, according to results reported to MaxPreps.

In California, transgender athletes are permitted to play in high school sports in accordance with their gender identity, which is fully recognized by the CIF. 

“California law permits students to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records,” said Rebecca Brutlag, director of media at CIF, in an email to this news organization. “Additionally, in accordance with California law, CIF Bylaw 300. D. provides that students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.”

Brutlag also said that Stone Ridge Christian could be subject to future penalties for forfeiting the playoff match. 

“Any team that withdraws from CIF playoffs is subject to sanctions at both the Section and State levels,” Brutlag said. “No decision has been made at this time regarding future sanctions.”

The debate around whether or not transgender athletes should be allowed to play in girls’ and women’s sports has intensified in recent years.

At the North Coast Section track championships in 2023, members of the activist group “Women Are Real” protested the meet and heckled a reportedly transgender runner from Sonoma Academy. 

This fall, San Jose State has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits for allegedly having a transgender player on its women’s volleyball team. San Jose State volleyball player Brooke Slusser joined a class action lawsuit against the NCAA and identified one of her own teammates as transgender and has since sued the Mountain West Conference, the CSU board and her own coach in a separate filing, appearing as a plaintiff alongside other volleyball players.

Four Mountain West teams have forfeited matches against San Jose State, resulting in six wins by forfeit. The schools that forfeited, all of which are public universities in right-leaning states, have not publicly said why they chose not to play against SJSU, but the private Stone Ridge Christian High School was more upfront about its reasoning, citing religious beliefs. 

“As Genesis makes clear, God wonderfully and immutable created each person as male or female,” the school said in the email. “We do not believe sex is changeable and we do not intend to participate in events that send a different message.”

San Francisco Waldorf will play North Bay school St. Vincent de Paul in the NorCal state finals tomorrow – a team it beat in the North Coast Section Division VI finals just a few weeks ago. 

St. Vincent de Paul plans to play Tuesday’s match, according to the school’s principal, Michael Casper, and athletic director, Heather Campbell. 

“St. Vincent de Paul will be playing the game as scheduled,” Campbell said in an email to the Bay Area News Group on Monday. “We look forward to the rematch of our NCS championship.”