This development comes after a slew of stories in which female volleyball players have suffered serious injuries after competing with biological males.

Reduxx has learned that a volleyball player from California is reportedly set to become the first known male recipient of a women’s Division 1 (D1) athletic scholarship. Tate Drageset, 17, has verbally committed to the University of Washington, and, if the offer is signed next fall, he would be seizing one of only twelve D1 volleyball scholarships available for females at the University.

The announcement of Drageset’s verbal commitment to the University of Washington was made in June to much fanfare within the volleyball community, with multiple sporting magazines and social media accounts covering the verbal commitment.

Drageset has long been considered a rising star within women’s volleyball, and he was the dominant force on two USA Volleyball teams in two separate age groups that both claimed national titles last summer. He was also named an MVP at the Girls Junior National Championships earlier this year. In addition to his club volleyball accolades, he was awarded the title of the California Interscholastic Federation’s Division 5 Player of the 2022-23 Year.

But Drageset’s transgender status has reportedly been concealed from public knowledge, with coaches, parents, and opposing players being left uninformed of his biological sex ahead of games.

An anonymous source told Reduxx that Drageset’s performance in women’s volleyball has “resulted in him being offered a rare, all-expenses-paid athletic scholarship intended for elite female athletes.” Drageset has verbally committed to attending the university.

There are several issues with this story, but at the heart of the matter is the displacement of biological females and concerns about their safety. When the deal is finalized, it will mean that a man is taking one of twelve scholarships that the school issues over four years. Only a few of these scholarships are offered each year, which means an athlete who is actually female will miss out on an opportunity because a male decided to change his gender.

What happens if other schools begin handing out these scholarships to men instead of women? This will mean that even more female athletes will be passed over for some misguided idea of inclusion. Indeed, this situation also raises questions related to how many other women have lost opportunities due to biological males taking their scholarships.

As always, the other issue is the threat to the safety of female athletes presented by men invading their sporting events. Just recently, a father in California discussed how his daughter was injured by a male player during a volleyball match. The girl experienced blurry vision and severe pain in her head and, after a doctor visit, realized she had sustained a concussion.

In April, Payton McNabb was injured in North Carolina while playing against a transgender female player.

Payton McNabb, a senior at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, N.C., detailed for the first time the effects of the injury at a press conference Wednesday:

On Sept. 1, 2022, I was severely injured in a high school volleyball game by a transgender athlete on the opposing team. I suffered from a concussion and a neck injury that to this day I am still recovering from. Other injuries I still suffer from today include impaired vision, partial paralysis on my right side, constant headaches, as well as anxiety and depression.

Of course, aside from the physical safety and educational opportunities, there is also the obvious issue: Men are physically stronger than women, which gives them an unfair advantage in sports.

Unfortunately, institutions like the University of Washington insist on going along with this charade, just like other colleges. The battle to protect female athletes continues, but it is clear that reversing this trend will take more time and resources.