Colorado State Rams women’s volleyball coach Emily Kohan called the team’s Mountain West Tournament Championship win over San Jose State on Saturday a “statement” victory.
The Rams earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the four-set win over the Spartans. San Jose State competed in the tournament under a shroud of controversy over the eligibility of transgender player Blaire Fleming. San Jose State had a bye in the first round and Boise State forfeited its match to allow the Spartans to play in the finals.
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CSU volleyball coach Emily Kohan coaches Malaya Jones against No. 10 Kentucky on Aug. 25, 2023, at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Cris Tiller/USA Today Network)
Kohan credited her team for staying the course.
“We stuck together through a lot, against a lot of odds and a lot of negative energy, and we controlled our own destiny,” Kohan said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I think we made a statement in the process.”
Colorado State was one of the Mountain West teams that did end up playing San Jose State during the regular season. The Spartans had five conference opponents forfeit matches against them. They were 1-1.
Colorado State’s head coach Emily Kohan watches a home game against Colorado at Moby Arena on Sept. 19, 2024, in Fort Collins. (Logan Newell/The Coloradoan/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“No one from (Colorado State) was negative in this whole thing,” Kohan added. “Nobody came and blamed anyone else, and nobody tried to point fingers. We’ve tried to make this really difficult situation as neutral or as controlled on our side as possible. It’s been a dynamic that we’ve handled really well… and not be nasty humans in the process.”
For Fleming, the conference finals will likely be the final match of the player’s career.
Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker introduces CSU volleyball head coach Emily Kohan as her hiring is announced on Dec. 16, 2022, at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins. (Chris Abshire/The Coloradoan/USA Today Network)
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Fleming led the Spartans on a run to the championship match in a senior season overshadowed by lawsuits from a teammate and a national controversy over Fleming being transgender. Fleming led the team in spikes and prompted four Mountain West rivals to forfeit a total of seven conference games, including a tournament semifinal.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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