The San Jose State University women’s volleyball team is set to face Boise State University Friday at the Mountain West tournament in what would usually be a celebration of athletic prowess and achievement.

Earlier this month, 11 female volleyball players, led by San Jose State co-captain Brooke Slusser, and an assistant coach sued the Mountain West Conference and San Jose State University, alleging the defendants violated the U.S. Constitution and Title IX by allowing a transgender athlete to play for a women’s sports team.

Brooke Slusser, a co-captain of the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team who was among a group that filed a lawsuit to bar a transgender woman from continuing to play on the team, sits on a bench in San Jose, Calif., on Nov. 18. (AMY OSBORNE/New York Times)

A federal judge ruled that the player, who is at the center of a controversy over transgender athletes, can participate in a women’s volleyball conference tournament this week.

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that allows a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member to play in the Mountain West Conference tournament after complaints said she should be ineligible on grounds that she’s transgender.

San Jose State volleyball head coach Todd Kress spoke out against teams that forfeited matches against his team after losing the conference championship.

Blaire Fleming, a senior on the San José State University women's volleyball team, has again become a focal point over transgender athletes' participation in collegiate sports after another apparent boycott.