High school volleyball in California has turned into a full-on firestorm thanks to one player: AB Hernandez. The transgender junior at Jurupa Valley has found herself at the center of controversy, with multiple schools outright refusing to take the court against her team this season.
🚨 NEW: Because 4 California girls’ high school volleyball teams have forfeited rather than compete against Jurupa Valley due to the presence of AB Hernandez, a male athlete, Jurupa is actively seeking new opponents. And they already found one 👇 pic.twitter.com/xb9dKcphzr
— Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) September 4, 2025
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So far, at least four programs have chosen to forfeit rather than play Jurupa Valley. Nobody’s coming out with an official statement, but it’s pretty clear they’re all trying to send the same message without actually saying it.
Hernandez, who already caught national attention earlier this year for winning CIF track titles in the girls’ long jump and triple jump, now finds her volleyball season constantly interrupted. Parents have protested, schools have backed out, and her mom has been by her side to deal with the blowback.
For now, the Lady Jags are scrambling for replacement games, but one thing’s clear,this isn’t going away. Hernandez isn’t just competing; she’s become the flashpoint for one of the biggest debates in high school sports.