On October 22, 2025, a California high school girls’ volleyball playoff match between Valencia High School and Jurupa Valley High School drew national attention amid ongoing controversy surrounding the participation of a transgender athlete. Jurupa Valley’s girls’ volleyball team featured AB Hernandez, a transgender female athlete, whose presence on the team sparked protests, heated debates, and ultimately contributed to a significant moment in high school sports discourse.
The match itself ended with Valencia High School defeating Jurupa Valley in straight sets. However, the game attracted more focus for off-court issues than the on-court performance. Among the crowd were protesters wearing “Save Girls Sports” apparel, signaling their opposition to the participation of transgender athletes in female sports. This game also marked the end of Jurupa Valley’s controversial season, which had been disrupted by numerous forfeits—ten teams had already refused to play against Jurupa Valley due to Hernandez’s participation.
Two female players from Valencia High School chose not to participate in the playoff game, a decision they and their parents have now publicly explained through a joint statement provided to Fox News Digital. The players remained anonymous but expressed their reasons clearly. Their statement began by recounting how their team first learned they would face Jurupa Valley in the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) first round. Upon scouting the opposing team, they discovered that Jurupa Valley included a transgender player. This revelation, coupled with the knowledge that ten other teams had forfeited games against Jurupa Valley, caused concern within their own team.
The players cited their personal beliefs and values as the foundation of their decision to abstain from playing, emphasizing fairness, safety, and faith as key principles. “We believe that allowing males in women’s sports is unfair, creates safety concerns, and goes against our faith,” the statement noted. They expressed a desire to continue competing in volleyball without compromising these principles or feeling placed in a position that conflicted with their values.
Importantly, the two athletes emphasized that their decision was not motivated by personal animosity toward Hernandez but rather by their beliefs about fairness in women’s sports. They wrote, “Our goal was not to single out AB Hernandez, but to express our belief that biological males should not compete in women’s sports.” They further highlighted that their choice was rooted in their Christian faith and a conviction toward preserving the integrity of female athletics. The players chose not only to sit out the game but also to abstain from attending the match as a demonstration of their stance.
This incident was not the first time Hernandez had competed at the playoff level. Hernandez had been a member of the Jurupa Valley girls’ volleyball team for several years and had also participated in postseason events in 2024. Yet, the controversy surrounding Hernandez intensified during the spring track and field season earlier in the year. Hernandez’s success in multiple events—the girls’ state finals in long jump, triple jump, and high jump—attracted national political attention.
Former President Donald Trump publicly criticized Hernandez’s participation in female sports via a post on his platform, Truth Social, where he warned California Governor Gavin Newsom against allowing a transgender athlete to compete in girls’ track and field events. Trump had previously issued an executive order in February aimed at barring biological males from competing in women’s sports, a directive that the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) resisted. Instead of banning Hernandez, CIF implemented a policy adjustment that granted female athletes who competed alongside Hernandez guaranteed spots in competitions or elevated podium placements if they finished behind a transgender athlete.
Hernandez’s performance at the state finals saw her winning first place in high jump and triple jump events and securing second place in the long jump. Due to the CIF’s adjusted rules, Hernandez shared podium placements with female athletes who finished behind her, a decision that further fueled the ongoing debate about fairness and inclusion in sports.
Following the start of the volleyball season, two Jurupa Valley senior players, McPherson and Hadeel Hazameh, chose to leave the team in protest against Hernandez’s participation. Their departure underscored the divisive nature of the issue within the team and the wider community. Moreover, McPherson and Hazameh, along with McPherson’s older sister Madison McPherson—a former Jurupa Valley volleyball player—filed a lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District. The lawsuit cited their experiences over three seasons of sharing locker rooms and competing alongside Hernandez, highlighting concerns about privacy and fairness.
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