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A California girls’ high school volleyball team has suffered additional forfeits over the inclusion of a transgender girl on its roster.

Two more games have been scratched from the schedule of Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team, a mother of a player on the team confirmed to Fox News Digital after the coach, Liana Manu, informed parents of the cancellations. Rim of the World High School forfeited a match set for Aug. 25, and Orange Vista High School forfeited an Aug. 29 game.

Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) also stated the forfeits, emphasizing that they were not voluntary. “We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts,” the district said.

The district said California law prohibits schools from discriminating against students based on gender identity and that Education Code 221.5 (f) specifically requires schools to allow students to try out for, and play on, athletic teams consistent with their gender identity. The district added that it has been advised that its guidance on this matter is “solidly based” on the views of California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride,” the district statement concluded, adding that the district is working to reschedule matches for the team.

Jurupa Valley High School previously lost a match on August 15 to Riverside Poly High School. Parents of the players and a member of the Riverside school board separately told Fox News Digital the decision not to play was directly related to the transgender athlete on the Jurupa Valley High School team, senior AB Hernandez.

Mother of Trans Athlete Responds as Controversy Over Games Rages On

Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, stated the forfeits as the controversy continues. “I understand the discomfort some may feel, because I was once there, too. The difference is, I chose to learn, to grow, and to open my heart,” she said.

Hernandez explained that her daughter “is a small person. A small build. So if you’re concerned it’s an advantage in strength or size, keep looking. This girl isn’t that.”

“What sets her apart is her skill and her heart,” Hernandez added. “This is a child, and I can assure you that she sees your daughters as peers, as teammates, as friends, not through a lens of anything inappropriate. And no, my daughter did not know the matches were canceled over her.”

Hernandez has drawn national attention before. In the spring, she competed in track and field and won two state titles, in the long jump and the triple jump. At the time, female athletes and their families wore shirts reading “Save Girls’ Sports” to protest her inclusion. Before the state finals, former President Donald Trump sent out a message on Truth Social, calling on the state of California not to let a trans athlete “destroy women’s sports” – though he did not name Hernandez.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) over its policies that allow trans girls to compete on girls’ sports teams. This came despite a Trump executive order in February that sought to bar such participation.

For Hernandez, a senior this year, she should be focused on playing her final season of volleyball. Instead, the season could come to be known by the forfeits and the growing divide in the community.

Maribel Munoz is a parent in the Jurupa Valley school district, and her daughter has played with Hernandez for three years. She said the recent forfeits were disheartening. “It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” Munoz said.

The tensions have played out at local school board meetings as well. At a Riverside Unified School District meeting this month, parents were on both sides of the issue, with some supporting the Riverside Poly athletes who refused to play Jurupa Valley and others decrying the targeting of transgender students for not being allowed to play.

Nereyda Hernandez also took the time to speak at the meeting, directly addressing Riverside school board member Amanda Vickers for her comments to Fox News Digital about the forfeit. “You actually entertained and welcomed harassment to my child,” she said. “You are a board member. You have an oath to protect, to support all children, not just the ones that fit your ideas, your beliefs.”