Vocal ‘Protect Girls’ Sports’ Crowd Fills Gym As Jurupa Valley Trans Player AB Hernandez Plays Season Finale

PLACENTIA, Calif. — Smiles filled the faces of pro-women activists attending Wednesday night's CIF girls volleyball playoff match between Valencia High School and Jurupa Valley High School.

The latter team is best known for featuring AB Hernandez, a born male who played among girls in volleyball and track and field at Jurupa Valley High School.

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The matchup had already stirred debate over fairness in girls’ sports.

OutKick attended Wednesday’s playoff between Valencia and Jurupa Valley, a matchup that nearly folded amid pregame debate over the Jurupa Valley junior’s participation.

READ: Patriot High Forfeits Match Against Jurupa Valley’s AB Hernandez In Girls Volleyball

The crowd talked about Hernandez constantly; the matchup was already one of the CIF season’s biggest storylines.

Pregame warm-ups featuring Jurupa Valley's AB Hernandez, taking on Valencia High School. (Alejandro Avila/OutKick)

Pregame warm-ups featuring Jurupa Valley's AB Hernandez, taking on Valencia High School. (Alejandro Avila/OutKick)

The Protecting Girls' Sports movement made its presence felt at the gym as Hernandez and Jurupa fell in a three-set sweep to Valencia. 

Cheers boomed for a win that felt bigger than volleyball.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS: 

• Pro-female activists showed up at the Valencia gym to watch Jurupa Valley’s AB Hernandez take on the girls. Hernandez was born male.
• Plenty of "XX-XY" and Protecting Women’s Sports gear in the crowd.
• AB Hernandez’s mom delivered a feisty "no comment" to OutKick — she also made a photographer delete his pics of AB before cops confirmed he’d done nothing wrong.
• Valencia took the playoff win over Jurupa Valley

Leading up to the CIF playoff game, 10 teams had already forfeited rather than face Hernandez.

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Signs at the entrance warned attendees to exhibit proper behavior. Moments later, a voice came over the loudspeaker with a message that set the tone for the night.

The message read: "Athletes, cheerleaders, band members, coaches, and spectators, we request your cooperation in supporting the student athletes and officials in a positive manner.

"Please be mindful of your language and actions at all times and treat others with dignity and respect. Profanity, derogatory comments, or other intimidating actions, especially concerning race, gender, or ethnicity, directed at athletes, officials, team representatives, or other spectators, will not be tolerated and are grounds for immediate removal from the school premises.

"We appreciate your cooperation in creating a safe, inclusive and positive championship environment."

READ: AB Hernandez Teammate Calls Out Gavin Newsom Over Transgender Policies In California

As the message faded, the crowd’s attention turned back to the court and to the visible show of support filling the stands. Supporters, some in the Valencia student section, proudly wore pro-women gear.

"We have a lot of grassroots support down here — conservative parents trying to help out other parents, help out students, and inform them of what's going on," said Justin, one of the attendees wearing an XX-XY Athletics shirt.

"The number one thing is education, making sure people understand what’s actually taking place," he added. "A couple of parents wanted to possibly sit their child out because of what’s going on, and then CIF came down and said, ‘Hey, if you guys forfeit the game, you’ll be disciplined next year.’"

During the match, murmurs and low laughs followed Hernandez’s serves. One girl in the Valencia student section wore a "Protect Girls Sports" shirt, a clear statement in a gym already divided. 

Another fan wore a cleverly penned CIF ("Can't Identify Females") shirt.

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Transgender player AB Hernandez (4) of Jurupa Valley reacts during a girls’ high school volleyball match against Norte Vista at Norte Vista High School on October 16, 2025 in Riverside, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

On the Flip Side

Most of the grimacing in the stands came from Hernandez’s supporters, including AB’s mother, Nereyda, facing a strong crowd of opponents who packed the gym in support of the girls’ side of the issue.

Nereyda declined to speak with OutKick, though she spent moments during timeouts and pregame chatting with bystanders. 

She drew attention when she confronted a photographer taking pictures of Hernandez’s serves during the match. 

The man told OutKick that Nereyda Hernandez forced him to delete the photos he had taken of Hernandez on his phone. 

Coming together to Protect Women's Sports. (Alejandro Avila/OutKick)

A nearby police officer, one of two at the event, confirmed the man had not broken any rules by taking photos from his position.

Several women sitting behind two young girls sporting XX-XY gear cheered loudly for Hernandez. They were among the few Hernandez supporters.

Sophia Lorey, a SoCal pro-women's activist who once competed against a male in soccer, also attended the match and spoke with OutKick.

"I'm out here because there is a boy competing in the first round of CIF volleyball tonight," she said. "It's unfair — but it’s also unsafe for these girls to play against a male athlete."

"Volleyball has men’s nets about seven inches higher than women’s because of biological differences," Lorey continued. "CIF has put the offensive team in a horrible position, basically telling them that if they don’t play tonight, they won’t get to play finals next season.

READ: Jurupa Valley Volleyball Teams Forfeit Rather Than Face Male Athlete AB Hernandez

"I’m here with some of the girls who played on the team with a boy and said no more. I’m here to support them and any other girl who wants to sit out or walk out."

Following the match, Lorey shared a video to her X account showing a pair of female fans flipping off a group of high school girls in attendance who were posing for a ‘Save Girls’ Sports' photo.

Two girls who were once teammates with Hernandez were also in attendance. Alyssa McPherson and Hadeel Hazameh are two of three current students who have filed a lawsuit against their school district over locker room sharing, previously reported by Fox News' Jackson Thompson.

Court to the Culture War

Wednesday’s match mirrors a broader debate that reshaped women’s sports nationwide.

Trans inclusion in sports grew especially prominent under the Joe Biden administration, which pushed policies inclusive of trans athletes. Biden reshaped Title IX to prioritize gender identity over biological sex.

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Transgender player AB Hernandez (4) of Jurupa Valley and Makena Olden (6) during a girls’ high school volleyball match against Norte Vista at Norte Vista High School on October 16, 2025 in Riverside, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

Hernandez has been allowed to compete against women in both volleyball and track and field. 

Across the Golden State, conference policies and prioritizing gender identity have inspired an increase in trans athletes.

READ: Transgender Athlete AB Hernandez Wins Girls State Championship In California Track & Field

One father of a Jurupa Valley volleyball player told OutKick he was indifferent about letting AB play, saying, "They're [Hernandez] a teenager, and they can't f***in' defend themselves against adults." There was no response to a follow-up about teammates and opponents who disagreed with Hernandez's inclusion.

For many in the stands, the match ended, but the debate over fairness in girls' sports continues.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela