It was always going to be a tough act to follow.

San Jose State University’s volleyball team was eliminated from making the Mountain West Tournament with a loss Saturday to University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and finished the season under .500 with a 13-16 overall record and 8-10 in conference play. 

SJSU outperformed expectations, finishing seventh in the Mountain West after being expected to finish 11th in the conference’s preseason coaches poll after a controversy involving trans athlete Blaire Fleming in 2024. 

Head coach Todd Kress led last year’s team to the conference final but had eight wins, including the conference semifinal, awarded via forfeit. SJSU previously made the conference final with Fleming in 2022, the trans athlete’s first year with the Spartans under former head coach Trent Kersten. 

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The controversy involving Fleming resulted in two lawsuits during the 2024 season, a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Education and a mass exodus of players. At least seven of the team’s returning players from 2024 entered the transfer portal in December after the season ended.

The controversial 2024 season included eight forfeited matches, regular police protection, national scrutiny and internal turmoil between players and coaches.

Kress previously said the 2024 season was one of the “most difficult” of his life. Kress is 21st in NCAA women’s volleyball history in wins as a head coach.

“This has been one of the most difficult seasons I’ve ever experienced, and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities,” Kress said.

EX-SJSU STAR BROOKE SLUSSER MAKES NEW ALLEGATIONS ABOUT PROBE INTO TRANS TEAMMATE’S ALLEGED PLOT TO HARM HER

Kersten was the coach who recruited Fleming to SJSU as a transfer out of Coastal Carolina. Kersten then stepped down after the 2022 season and was replaced by Kress. 

Former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser transferred to SJSU from Alabama in 2023 

Then, in September 2024, Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA alleging SJSU officials withheld knowledge about Fleming’s birth gender from her and other players on the team. Slusser alleged she was made to share changing and sleeping spaces with Fleming without knowing that Fleming was a biological male. 

Slusser, along with several other players in the Mountain West, filed a separate lawsuit against the conference and San Jose State in November 2024 over Fleming’s presence. That lawsuit included testimony from former San Jose State volleyball players Alyssa Sugai and Elle Patterson alleging they were passed over for scholarships in favor of Fleming. 

Assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended by the program in early November after she filed a Title IX complaint against the university for showing favoritism toward Fleming over the other players, especially Slusser. Batie-Smoose’s complaint also included allegations of Fleming’s plot to have Slusser spiked in the face.

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Batie-Smoose’s contract was not renewed by the school at the end of January. The coach then filed her own lawsuit against the Board of Trustees of the California State University (CSU) system. SJSU is one of 23 California-based schools that are part of the system. 

Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital that SJSU accommodated Fleming with special exceptions that were not granted to female athletes.

“Not showing up to practice with no excuses, sitting in the stands eating while practice was going on, those kind of things,” Batie-Smoose said of the special exceptions reserved exclusively for Fleming. 

Fleming previously responded to Batie-Smoose’s claim and addressed Slusser in a social media exchange with Fox News Digital. 

“The only times I showed up to practice with ‘no excuse’ and sat in the stands was when I was injured and couldn’t play. Brooke Slusser and Melissa need to get a life,” Fleming said. 

After the 2024 volleyball season, Slusser fled SJSU after frequent alleged harassment and threats by other students in response to her speaking out against Fleming and the program the previous fall. She returned to her parents’ home in Texas to finish the school year remotely and is now working as a youth volleyball coach in North Carolina. 

Fleming celebrated graduation from SJSU in a social media post in May. 

The University of Nevada, Reno, which was involved in the 2024 controversy for trying to have its players compete against SJSU and Fleming despite preferring to forfeit, finished the 2025 season in 11th place with an 8-20 record, 4-14 in conference play. 

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PITTSBURGH — The Steelers defense will be closer to full strength as they take on the Chicago Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams. Both defensive tackle Cam Heyward and cornerback Darius Slay were upgraded from their previous game designation of questionable and no longer have a designation for Sunday’s game.

Both are expected to play, the team announced following Saturday’s walkthrough.

Heyward and Slay were each limited in Friday’s practice. Heyward sustained an ankle injury and was spotted in a boot after practice, while Slay got a partial rest day as he continued to work through the concussion protocol.

While the defense got some concrete good news, quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains questionable with his fractured left wrist. Rodgers was a partial participant in practice Thursday and Friday after missing Wednesday’s work. Rodgers wore a black wrist stabilizer at practice, and he said the key to his availability Sunday is being able to protect himself.

Cross country tests an athlete’s endurance, strength, agility and mental toughness. The best cross country athletes also possess an ability to traverse difficult terrains and weather conditions.

In 2025, Oklahoma State won the men’s title for its second in three years, while NC State won the women’s for its fourth in five years.

Combining men’s and women’s events, Villanova has won the most overall championships, taking home 13 total titles. Arkansas is in second place with 12, and Oregon rounds out the top three with 10.

Check out an all-time winners list for the NCAA cross country championship below:

Note: Cross country was one of 12 women’s sports added to the NCAA championship program during the 1981-82 school year.

2025: Oklahoma State (M), NC State (W)

2024: BYU (M), BYU (W)

2023: Oklahoma State (M), NC State (W)

2022: Northern Arizona (M), NC State (W)

2021: Northern Arizona (M), NC State (W)

2020: Northern Arizona (M), BYU (W)

2019: BYU (M), Arkansas (W)

2018: Northern Arizona (M), Colorado (W)

2017: Northern Arizona (M), New Mexico (W)

2016: Northern Arizona (M), Oregon (W)

2015: Syracuse (M), New Mexico (W)

2014: Colorado (M), Michigan State (W)

2013: Colorado (M), Providence (W)

2012: Oklahoma State (M), Oregon (W)

2011: Wisconsin (M), Georgetown (W)

2010: Oklahoma State (M), Villanova (W)

2009: Oklahoma State (M), Villanova (W)

2008: Oregon (M), Washington (W)

2007: Oregon (M), Stanford (W)

2006: Colorado (M), Stanford (W)

2005: Wisconsin (M), Stanford (W)

2004: Colorado (M), Colorado (W)

2003: Stanford (M), Stanford (W)

2002: Stanford (M), BYU (W)

2001: Colorado (M), BYU (W)

2000: Arkansas (M), Colorado (W)

1999: Arkansas (M), BYU (W)

1998: Arkansas (M), Villanova (W)

1997: Stanford (M), BYU (W)

1996: Stanford (M), Stanford (W)

1995: Arkansas (M), Providence (W)

1994: Iowa State (M), Villanova (W)

1993: Arkansas (M), Villanova (W)

1992: Arkansas (M), Villanova (W)

1991: Arkansas (M), Villanova (W)

1990: Arkansas (M), Villanova (W)

1989: Iowa State (M), Villanova (W)

1988: Wisconsin (M), Kentucky (W)

1987: Arkansas (M), Oregon (W)

1986: Arkansas (M), Texas (W)

1985: Wisconsin (M), Wisconsin (W)

1984: Arkansas (M), Wisconsin (W)

1983: UTEP (M)*, Oregon (W)

1982: Wisconsin (M), Virginia (W)

1981: UTEP (M), Virginia (W)

1980: UTEP (M)

1979: UTEP (M)

1978: UTEP (M)

1977: Oregon (M)

1976: UTEP (M)

1975: UTEP (M)

1974: Oregon (M)

1973: Oregon (M)

1972: Tennessee (M)

1971: Oregon (M)

1970: Villanova (M)

1969: UTEP (M)

1968: Villanova (M)

1967: Villanova (M)

1966: Villanova (M)

1965: Western Michigan (M)

1964: Western Michigan (M)

1963: San Jose State (M)

1962: San Jose State (M)

1961: Oregon State (M)

1960: Houston (M)

1959: Michigan State (M)

1958: Michigan State (M)

1957: Notre Dame (M)

1956: Michigan State (M)

1955: Michigan State (M)

1954: Oklahoma State (M)

1953: Kansas (M)

1952: Michigan State (M)

1951: Syracuse (M)

1950: Penn State (M)

1949: Michigan State (M)

1948: Michigan State (M)

1947: Penn State (M)

1946: Drake (M)

1945: Drake (M)

1944: Drake (M)

1942: Indiana/Penn State (M)

1941: Rhode Island (M)

1940: Indiana (M)

1939: Michigan State (M)

1938: Indiana (M)

*Vacated

Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for scores, rankings and more.