USA Volleyball suggests changes coming to sex testing, while junior families raise male athlete concerns
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USA Volleyball suggested it may change its policy on genetic sex tests to protect the women's category . Meanwhile, multiple female players of USA Volleyball-sanctioned leagues and their families have spoken out about playing against an allegedly transgender opponent.
USA Volleyball, the International Volleyball Federation and members of the U.S. Women’s National Team said they have reached a "constructive path forward" after players raised concerns about the rollout of genetic screening used to determine eligibility for the female category in international competition .
The organizations said in a July 28 joint statement that they had reached a "shared understanding" over concerns surrounding the sex-determining region Y, or SRY, screening process.
Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women's sports gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026, as two cases about transgender girls joining girls' and women's sports teams were heard inside the court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
"Following a series of productive discussions, the FIVB, USA Volleyball, and members of the USA Women’s National Team (WNT) are pleased to confirm a shared understanding and a constructive path forward regarding the concerns raised in relation to the SRY screening process," the statement read.
"When the WNT first raised concerns through USA Volleyball related to communication, athlete privacy and procedural safeguards, the FIVB responded immediately by meeting with USA Volleyball and adapting its procedures to address these concerns."
The statement did not announce an end to SRY screening or a change to the eligibility standard itself. Instead, it focused on how the testing is communicated and administered and said the parties would continue working together to improve the process.
The dispute followed the International Olympic Committee’s March 2026 policy , which limits eligibility for the female category at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and other IOC events to biological females, as determined through a one-time SRY gene screening. The IOC says the policy is not retroactive and does not apply to grassroots or recreational sports.
FIVB incorporated SRY screening into its 2026 Sports Regulations . Under those rules, the presence of a Y chromosome initially places a player in the male category, while its absence makes a player eligible for the female category. The regulations also establish a process through which a player may seek a change in categorization by demonstrating that no competitive advantage would result.
The FIVB rule is limited to FIVB, world and other official competitions organized by the international federation, its confederations and zonal associations. FIVB’s regulations expressly leave eligibility rules for domestic club competition to each national federation.
That distinction has become a flashpoint for three families who told Fox News Digital that their daughters competed on teams with an alleged biological male athlete in a USA Volleyball-sanctioned league. The families allege that an amended birth certificate was accepted as the controlling eligibility document even though, they say, the alleged biological male athlete’s sex at birth was male.
USA Volleyball’s current Gender Competition Policy says athlete members are expected to compete in USAV-sanctioned events "as a member of the gender assigned at the time of birth on their birth certificate." The same policy says the gender recorded for competition purposes "has not officially been verified."
Fox News Digital is not identifying the girls, their family members or the league that they play in but has independently verified they compete in a USA Volleyball-sanctioned league. Fox News Digital has not independently verified an alleged biological male competes in that league.
The following family statements are reproduced in full. The families’ assertions about an alleged biological male athlete, an amended birth certificate, communications with volleyball officials and the alleged athlete’s physical characteristics have not been independently verified by Fox News Digital.
"It’s wrong because [the alleged biological male athlete] is biologically stronger than me. I’ll never jump as high as [the alleged biological male athlete] can. No matter how much training I do, I’ll never be able to do what [the alleged biological male athlete’s] body can do. I’m labeled as transphobic for being against all the things that I just said and it’s just facts. No hate. I hope they start testing to make sure that boys are not ever on the court with girls."
"My daughter competed alongside an [alleged] biologically male player, so this policy change is deeply personal to our family. Watching her navigate an incredibly stressful season was heartbreaking. Beyond the emotional toll, our family sacrificed countless hours and significant financial resources, only to feel like the integrity of the competition was compromised. We were put in a position where I believed the rules weren’t being followed, and it was incredibly frustrating to feel like we had no choice but to accept it.
"This policy validates what so many female athletes and parents have experienced but were often afraid to say publicly. I hope USA Volleyball remains committed to keeping the female division exclusively for female athletes and protecting the fairness, safety, and opportunities that girls deserve, so no…
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