Another California Girls HS Volleyball Team Forfeits Against Jurupa Valley, Trans Athlete

A fourth California high school girls volleyball team has forfeited a match against Jurupa Valley, which has male athlete AB Hernandez. 

A.B. Miller High School in Fontana, which was scheduled to face Jurupa Valley on Sept. 10, told OutKick that the girls on the team made the decision not to play. 

"The A.B. Miller High School girls volleyball team, with the support of their coaches and school administration, has chosen not to participate in the upcoming match against Jurupa Valley High School. The decision was made collectively by the student-athletes, and we remain focused on providing safe, positive opportunities for our players," principal Dr. Barbara Kelley said in a statement. 

A fourth California girls high school volleyball team has forfeited against Jurupa Valley, continuing the controversy over male athlete AB Hernandez’s participation.

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A.B. Miller is now the fourth team to cancel its match against Jurupa Valley, joining Riverside Poly, Rim of the World and Orange Vista. Orange Vista gave OutKick a statement last week explaining its decision to cancel the match.

"After thoughtful discussions, our student-athletes had with the coaching staff, it was decided to cancel our upcoming Girls’ Varsity volleyball match against Jurupa Valley High School," the statement from a school spokesperson said. 

"This decision was made in conjunction with the athletic directors at both Orange Vista and Jurupa Valley. Our priority is always the well-being of our students. We are proud of our athletes for bringing their thoughts forward and for supporting one another to make this a team decision."

Riverside Poly and Rim of the World did not respond to OutKick's requests for comment. 

Hernandez’s Participation at Center of Debate

While neither A.B. Miller nor Orange Vista specifically referenced AB Hernandez as the reason for their forfeits, it seems more than likely this was the driving factor in the decisions. 

Jurupa Valley plays its next game on Sept. 4 against Chaffey, which told the Los Angeles Times that it plans to play the match. 

"We made a decision to play against Jurupa Valley in volleyball because it is an equitable match-up," Chaffey athletic director Chris Brown told the newspaper via email. 

"Chaffey and Jurupa Valley play each other in several sports. We make decisions on the basis for what is best for our kids and school. A few years back, we had COVID and kids couldn’t play at all for a while. It brings joy to my heart that we can have young people out there competing against each other, period."

Notable in the Chaffey statement is the use of the word "we" with no direct attribution as to who was included in the school's decision to play Jurupa Valley. A.B. Miller made it clear that its decision was made by the team's players, with coach and administration support. OutKick is attempting to find out if the Chaffey girls volleyball team was consulted.

The match against Chaffey was not on Jurupa Valley's schedule initially, according to the school's official athletics website, so it appears the match was added recently. OutKick reached out to both Chaffey and Jurupa Valley to ask when the match was added to the schedule, and why, but did not receive a response from either.  

With four teams refusing to take the court, the message is clear: female athletes are walking away rather than playing against a male competitor. They shouldn’t have to give up their own opportunities — but the adults making the rules have failed them.