HS girls volleyball team forfeits playoff game over 'male athlete' playing for opponent, cites 'God's Word'
Stone Ridge Christian was set to take on San Francisco Waldorf
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A California high school girls volleyball team forfeited its state playoff match because its opponent "has a male athlete playing for their team," the school said.
Stone Ridge Christian High School, located in Merced, was set to play San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament. San Francisco Waldorf had a bye into the semifinals as it was the No. 1 seed in its bracket. Stone Ridge Christian defeated North Hills Christian.
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On Friday, Stone Ridge Christian officials said in a statement it will not play against San Francisco Waldorf.
"As many of you know, our girls won on Wednesday and advanced to the state playoffs," the school said, via Max Preps. "Unfortunately, we were just informed that our opponent, San Francisco Waldorf, has a male athlete playing for their team.
"At SRC, we believe God’s Word is authoritative and infallible. It is Truth. And as Genesis makes clear, God wonderfully and immutable created each person as male or female. We do not believe sex is changeable and we do not intend to participate in events that send a different message. We also have a duty and responsibility to care for the health and safety of our athletes. So after consulting with our students, coaches and staff, we have made the difficult decision to forfeit Saturday’s game. Standing for Biblical truth means more than the outcome of a game.
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"This is heartbreaking end to our season, but I hope you will join me in congratulating these outstanding student-athletes. SRC is proud of them."
The player in question is reportedly a three-spot athlete who led San Francisco Waldorf to a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) North Coast Championship last season, according to OutKick.
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The CIF enacted "gender identity participation" rules in 2013.
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"All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF athletics and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity," the policy stated.
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