57: Benched for Truth: Female College Volleyball Players Speak Out Against a Male on Their Team
At Santa Rosa Junior College, sisters Madison and Gracie Shaw faced a choice no female athlete should ever have to make: keep quiet and compete alongside a male on the women’s volleyball team—or speak up for fairness, safety, and privacy. Their decision changed everything.
In this candid conversation, the Shaws describe how they learned a male player would join the women’s roster, what actually happened in the locker room, and the on-court injury risks they witnessed—including a point-blank spike to the face that showed the reality of male athletic advantage.
They also share how team dynamics shifted once they voiced concerns, why coaching staff and administrators failed to protect their athletes, and what led them to file a federal Title IX complaint. The result? Two young women stepping away from the sport they love rather than surrender their convictions.
Host Sophia Lorey connects their story to a wider pattern across California and the nation—from middle school P.E. to Division I—calling leaders to safeguard women’s sports and spaces. Madison and Gracie offer practical encouragement to girls facing similar situations: tell the truth, stand firm, and know you’re not alone.
If you care about fairness, safety, and privacy for female athletes, this episode will give you conviction, clarity, and hope—for such a time as this.
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