In a new interview with OutKick, Batie-Smoose, who is now the head volleyball coach at Cisco College, claimed SJSU associate athletics director Laura Alexander informed her of Fleming's failed test before the womenâs volleyball team left for its first conference match."So it was told to me by our associate AD, confirming to me that Fleming was not showing up for the test, the blood test," Batie-Smoose said.INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: âTHIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEMâAssociate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose with the San Jose St.Spartans as they play Air Force in an NCAA womenâs volleyball game at Spartan Gym in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Oct.
31, 2024.(Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)"And that Fleming had one day left before we were going to leave for our first conference match, and that he needed to come in and test.
And then, then she proceeded to tell me the next day that after the test, that the testosterone levels were too high, and Fleming is ineligible to play and will not be going on the trip that day."The coach added that the alleged failed test was kept "a secret" from the rest of the team.The allegation also appears in Batie-Smooseâs Oct.13 federal lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) trustees and 11 SJSU employees.Fleming then missed a long stretch of the 2023 season.
SJSUâs athletics website claimed the player had not competed since Sept.16 of that year "due to injuries," in a November 2023 game recap.Batie-Smoose said, "The injury happened the day that Fleming went to go get tested, and it was very questionable."Batie-Smoose believes the injury explanation helped keep the alleged eligibility issue secret.
Her lawsuit also describes that conclusion as her belief.EX-SJSU VOLLEYBALL PLAYER SPEAKS OUT ON ALLEGED SCHOLARSHIP DECEPTION BY COACH DURING TRANS SCANDAL"Around the same time the testosterone results were revealed, Fleming thereafter missed conference m...