Trans athlete says ‘I’m just a normal kid’ as teams forfeit and some teammates refuse to play

One year after a wave of college volleyball forfeits in California, at least three high school girls volleyball teams have decided to forfeit matches rather than play against Jurupa Valley High School and trans athlete AB Hernandez.

Hernandez pervious won two state girls track and field titles at the California Interscholastic Federation’s state championships. This fall, she’s traded spikes for court shoes as a middle blocker for the 5-3 JVHS Jaguars. Now with the forfeits, Hernandez is speaking up publicly.

“People just see one thing and that’s what you are,” She told CBS News Los Angeles Friday. “They swear I’m like this crazy danger to society. I’m just a normal kid going to school, playing sports.”

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The interview was her first public statement since talking to a number of outlets immediately after the CIF state track meet in June. The new school year and the competitive volleyball season opened with both Riverside Poly and Rim of the World high school forfeiting matches.

Orange High School opted out of the scheduled August 29 date, however Chaffey High School had an open date on the schedule and decided to take the match. Jurupa Valley won, 3-1, and are setting up for their next match against Miller High School this week.

Even if the rest of the slate plays out, this issue flares up in the middle of a great deal of contention for the state with the issue of trans women in women’s sports. California’s Department of Education and the CIF are in a contentious back-and-forth with the current Presidential Administration for their defiance of the administration’s anti-trans-athlete executive order.

2 teammates refuse to play with trans athlete

In the midst of all this, two teammates of AB Hernandez have decided to not play as long as the trans girl is on the team.

One of the players, senior Alyssa McPherson, stated concerns to Fox News that further forfeits by other teams would harm the season.

“To me, I feel like this is just a fairness issue,” she said. “I just want to be able to compete and play and have fun in my last year. I feel like I got robbed of that.”

Other parents from the schools that have forfeited matches have echoed similar sentiments against Hernandez’s presence on the court.

Hernandez’s mother has publicly disagreed, saying the continued attempts to demean her daughter in the press and in public protests are the real issue.

“I’m grateful, thankful,” Nereyda Hernandez said about a team stepping up to fill a previously forfeited date. “As a mom, it means a lot. Those girls mean a lot because I know it helps AB get through these hard times.”

“Having to deal with the cruelty is hurtful,” she continued.

California state law and CIF regulations clearly deem Hernandez eligible to play.

The student-athlete says she won’t be deterred. AB Hernandez has a goal for the rest of the season in mind, winning a league championship and perhaps more.

“It’s a team effort,” she said. “My team needs to be willing to fight with me, and that’s what it takes to win a team title.”

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