USA Volleyball suggests changes coming to sex testing, while junior families raise male athlete concerns

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.

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"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 other family has to go through what ours did."

"Being a female athlete and having to play, with or against, an [alleged] biological male should not be something that any female athlete should have to do. It is simply unfair. Male athletes already start with an advantage that no female athletes can reach, leaving a huge mental impact on the female players around them. It leaves female athletes, like myself, comparing their ability to the men on their court, making them insecure about something they may never be able to reach.

"This takes opportunities away from the female athletes as well, who work hard every day to improve their athletic ability but in the end, they will never have the strength, vertical, or endurance a male is naturally able to develop. Not to mention, males participating in women's sporting events is illegal. So not only is it unfair by taking away female opportunities, it is against the law."

"For this entire volleyball season, my husband and I have been forced to watch my daughter and ten other girls compete on a team alongside an [alleged biological male athlete] on the roster. It has been infuriating because we feel that we are not protecting her, yet to speak out could foil her chance at making an elite roster next season. We are sending these young women very mixed messages. We teach our children that the hard work they put into working out, practicing and being a good team player will have its rewards.

"However, in this case, the work that the girls are putting in is futile. My daughter and her teammates feel defeated because they know the physical advantage that males have over females. They often have to listen as male coaches praise the [alleged biological male athlete’s] athletic ability, all the while these girls knowing that [the alleged biological male athlete] has unfair physical advantages.

"As a society that allows boys into girls’ private spaces, we are sending the young women a message that they will never be good enough, that the scholarships will probably never go to them, and that in general, being a female, is at best, only good enough to stand in 2nd place, behind the boys who you never had a chance at beating in the first place. As adults, we are failing to keep our young girls safe.

"As parents of athletes, we have a responsibility to raise our girls to be proud of being female, proud of being strong in mind and body, and proud to stand for the rights of all women and girls, both on the court and off. We cannot allow these violations to continue. Women were granted these rights under Title IX, and the law is being violated by USA Volleyball! Women and girls and their advocates should not have to continue to fight for rights that were already given to them!"

"As a female athlete who loves playing volleyball, I never thought or could have ever imagined I would have to be put in a situation where I would have to compete with and against an [alleged] boy.

"Seeing an [alleged] boy jump higher and hit harder while seeing [the alleged biological male athlete] get recognized over me was extremely humiliating as a female athlete. No matter how hard I worked at getting better, I knew I could never be as good as [the alleged biological male athlete]. Volleyball nets are higher in men’s volleyball due to this reason.

"I trusted USA Volleyball and leadership members who run volleyball club organizations to protect me and my fellow female athletes. Instead, I have lost trust in these adults and organizations. Knowing [alleged] male athletes are playing under the USA Volleyball guidelines and sweeping it under the rug makes me feel defeated as a young female. I have worked so hard to get to where I am, and allowing an [alleged] boy to play on an all-girls volleyball team has me discouraged to even keep playing the sport I love.

"USA Volleyball states 'compete in the gender matching the sex assigned at birth on their birth certificate.' Well in my state you can change your gender with the identity you identify as. How is this fair? Due to your guidelines and rules, I have to compete with an [alleged] biological male because they can amend their birth certificate to FEMALE. This is not fair or safe for me and the rest of female athletes."

"As a mother of a female athlete whose daughter had to play on the same team as an [alleged] biological male, I believe USA Volleyball should have clear, consistent methods for verifying athlete eligibility. The current USA Volleyball policy states that 'USAV athlete members are expected to participate or compete in all USAV-sanctioned events or activities as a member of the gender assigned at the time of birth on their birth certificate.'

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"As a parent of a female athlete, it is frustrating when the rules are not being applied consistently. In some states, birth certificates can be amended to reflect a person’s gender identity.

"This creates uncertainty when eligibility rules are intended to be based on biological sex at birth. In competitions where eligibility is based on biological sex, we believe USA Volleyball needs to consider additional methods of verification so that the rules are applied consistently to every athlete and all competitors are treated fairly. I witnessed firsthand what my daughter and her teammates experienced.

"They felt humiliated and discouraged when an [alleged] male athlete had physical advantages in jumping and hitting power that the girls could not match. They also felt disheartened when those abilities received recognition. Men’s volleyball is played with a higher net, reflecting recognized physical differences between the men’s and women’s games. I watched my daughter’s confidence decline because she believed the eligibility rules were not being enforced consistently.

"She felt there was no meaningful way to ensure that the policy was applied as written. USA Volleyball needs to do more to protect fair competition for female athletes. Solely relying on birth certificates alone is not sufficient enough to verify eligibility under a policy that is intended to be based on sex assigned at birth."

"As a father, I was outraged. I trusted that if USA Volleyball had eligibility rules, they would be enforced consistently. Instead, I watched my daughter and her teammates compete in a situation they believed did not follow those rules. USA volleyball said they wouldn’t remove the [alleged biological male] athlete because of an amended birth certificate, even though the policy is based on sex assigned at birth.

"I was given a meeting after requesting one with the leadership of my daughter’s local volleyball team to discuss concerns regarding an [alleged] male athlete participating on her girls’ team. During the meeting, information was presented that demonstrated the athlete was [allegedly] biologically male.

"Despite the evidence provided, the team leadership stated that they had been instructed by both their regional governing organization and USA Volleyball to accept the athlete’s amended birth certificate as the determining document for eligibility. As a result, my concerns were dismissed, and no further action was taken by the organization regarding the matter. Her local club team was not only made aware of the [alleged biological male athlete] being in the team but was also told by numerous other parents on her team along with opposing team parents and coaches and they still turned a blind eye.

"What made me the angriest was watching my daughter pay the price. My daughter lost confidence, felt like her concerns were dismissed, and started questioning whether the rules actually meant anything. As a father, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing your child speak up, believe she’s standing up for what’s right, and feel like no one is willing to listen.

"This isn’t about hate or attacking anyone personally. It’s about fairness, accountability, and expecting organizations to enforce the policies they put in place. If the rules are going to exist, they should be applied consistently to every athlete. That’s all we’ve ever asked for."

Fox News Digital has reached out to USA Volleyball for a response to the family's statements.