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The Ann Arbor Skyline women’s volleyball team, which has a trans-identifying man in its starting lineup, advanced to the Michigan State quarterfinals with a decisive sweep (25-15, 25-18, 25-21) of Saline Thursday night at Mason High School. They are now one of eight teams remaining in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division I girls tournament, the highest level in the state.
The MHSAA requires transgender athletes to have an approved waiver to participate in all events sponsored by the organization, which includes district and regional tournaments. The organization said in September that it had not granted any waivers since last fall (waivers must be approved annually), but had ignored several follow-up requests asking whether a waiver had since been granted.
As OutKick reported throughout the fall season, Skyline appeared to have attempted to hide the biological identity of its male player, with many parents from opposing teams expressing outrage when they discovered their teenage girls were competing against a man.
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Ann Arbor Skyline beat Saline to reach the MHSAA Division I quarterfinals, sparking debate over a trans-identifying player in Michigan women’s high school volleyball. (Kick)
The trans-identifying player, who OutKick is not naming because the athlete is considered a minor, dominated the first set with several massive kills, helping Skyline to the first set victory, 25-15.
However, every time the player threw the ball, frustration could be seen on the faces of the Saline fans. A parent held two thumbs down every time the player made a key play.
Another parent saw the player throwing a ball and turned to her husband and said softly, “That’s the boy, isn’t he?”
However, after Skyline won the first set, it appeared that the team was less inclined to prepare this player for spikes. Even though the trans-identifying player was not the most dominant on the court – perhaps intentionally – the advantages in terms of jumping and striking ability of the male player over the female players were clear.
“As you saw, it was actually a pretty even game when he wasn’t on the field,” a Saline parent told me after the game.
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The trans-identifying player, who OutKick is not naming because the athlete is considered a minor, dominated the first set with several massive kills, helping Skyline to the first set victory, 25-15. (Getty Images)
Another attendee remarked, “I’ve never seen a girl jump that high.” »
Unfortunately, although it seemed clear that many Saline parents wanted to express their frustrations, most were hesitant. One told me that although they wanted to make their feelings known, they feared their children would face retaliation.
Part of the problem with reporting this story is that all of the schools Skyline has competed in so far in the MHSAA tournament are in or around Ann Arbor. Several people commented on X, jokingly calling the city the “People’s Republic of Ann Arbor” due to its radical left-wing political culture.
Parents fear that speaking out against radical left ideology will put their children in danger. It’s hard to blame them for feeling this way.
But things are about to change. Skyline will face Byron Center in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 18 at Gull Lake High School in Richland, Michigan. While Ann Arbor voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election (71% in Washtenaw County, which encompasses Ann Arbor), Byron Center High School is located in Kent County. Kent County was much more divided (52 percent to 47 percent in favor of Harris).
The Ann Arbor Skyline women’s volleyball team advanced to the Michigan State quarterfinals with a decisive sweep (25-15, 25-18, 25-21) of Saline Thursday night at Mason High School. (iStock)
But Byron Center is located very close to the border of two other counties, Allegan and Barry. Both decidedly voted for Donald Trump (64% and 66% respectively).
It will be interesting to see what happens once Skyline emerges from its bubble. Inside his bubble, spectators harassed me for doing my job and were, in my opinion, practically egged on by Skyline director Casey Elmore. Why wouldn’t they? It is clear that their opinions on these topics are rarely, if ever, challenged.
We’ll see what happens on November 18 at Gull Lake High School.
