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A California girls’ high school volleyball team is facing additional forfeits after more opponents backed out of matches over the inclusion of a transgender girl on the team, fueling a hot-button controversy.

Maribel Munoz, a mother of a player on Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team, told Fox News Digital that the team had received word that two more games will be scratched from its schedule, following notice from coach Liana Manu. The forfeits were not JUSD’s decision, the district said in a statement. “We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts,” the statement said.

The forfeited games are with Rim of the World High School on Aug. 25 and Orange Vista High School on Aug. 29, Munoz said. The team had already received word that it would not face off with Riverside Poly High School, after the opponents forfeited on Aug. 15, according to Munoz. A parent of a player and a Riverside school board member confirmed to Fox News Digital that the decision was over the participation of the team’s transgender player.

Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) cited California Education Code 221.5 (f), which prohibits student discrimination based on gender identity. Schools must also “permit and allow a student to participate on an athletic team that is consistent with the student’s gender identity.” The school added that both the state attorney general, Rob Bonta, and the California superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurmond, have been “very clear” on the state law.

“We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride. We are working diligently to ensure our teams can play to keep our athletes from losing games,” the district added.

Mother Speaks Out in the Middle of the Battle

Senior AB Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, made a statement via Instagram, following the ongoing controversy over her daughter’s participation in the volleyball team. “I understand the discomfort some may feel, because I was once there, too. The difference is, I chose to learn, to grow, and to open my heart,” she said in part.

Nereyda Hernandez called her daughter “petite,” and that, “What makes her different from your daughters is not her size or her strength. What makes her different is that she is a girl.”

The transgender volleyball player and her mother have faced criticism and been at the center of the debate this summer. Hernandez had previously won two California state championships in the spring track and field season in the long jump and triple jump, leading to protests by other female athletes and their families.

The previous forfeit by Riverside Poly was confirmed by a parent and a Riverside school board member, who told Fox News Digital that the school had cancelled the match because they had a transgender player on the Jurupa Valley team. Riverside Poly parents and coaches said they are not against transgender students, but they do not want their daughters to have to compete against them, according to the board member. The local situation drew attention from President Donald Trump, who also spoke out against the transgender athletes and referenced the state championship meet that Hernandez was competing in.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) over its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. The lawsuit comes after Trump signed an executive order in February ordering that transgender girls and women are not to be allowed to participate in school sports.

As Hernandez and her family’s high school volleyball season comes to a close this fall, parents have said the drama has been distracting from the focus on playing games. “It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” Munoz said.

Parents have also spoken out at local school board meetings on both sides of the issue. At one such recent meeting of the Riverside Unified School District board of education, parents of players came from both sides, some on behalf of Riverside Poly athletes and others in support of transgender students’ rights.

During the meeting, Nereyda Hernandez also addressed Riverside board member Amanda Vickers, a mother who spoke to Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the meeting and was critical of her. “You actually entertained and welcomed harassment to my child,” she said. “You are a board member. You have an oath to protect, to support all children, not just the ones that fit your ideas, your beliefs.”

The Jurupa Valley volleyball team has a regular season set through mid-October, but more forfeits may follow. For Hernandez, this would be her last volleyball season as a high school student, but the community and controversy have swallowed much of her playing time, and the schedule could be up in the air depending on any future forfeits.

Trump has also spoken out about California on the matter in recent weeks. In a post on Truth Social in mid-August, Trump said Gov. Gavin Newsom and every school district in the state face a loss of federal money if they don’t follow his administration’s rules on the transgender issue.