Sleep is important for everyone – but do women require more than men?

This has been an ongoing discussion among researchers and medical experts, as they weigh the various biological factors that come into play.

Sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel, RAND Corporation senior behavioral specialist and a licensed clinical psychologist in Utah, said the idea that women need significantly more sleep than men is “often overstated.”

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Research has shown that the difference between men and women is “rather minimal,” as women only need about 11 to 13 more minutes of sleep, Troxel told Fox News Digital.

“This exaggeration can pressure women to focus on hitting a specific number of sleep hours, potentially at the expense of sleep quality,” she said.

“This is problematic, as women are already at twice the risk of having insomnia compared to men.”

Sleep medicine physician Dr. William Lu, medical director at Dreem Health in San Francisco, said women do tend to sleep more than men — about 10 to 20 more minutes per night, studies show.

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“However, we don’t know for certain if it is because women need more sleep or because men don’t sleep enough,” he told Fox News Digital.

“If the reason is that women need more sleep, hormones are very likely to play an important factor.” 

‘Ultimate self-care’

Troxel said she considers sleep to be the “ultimate self-care for women, yet it’s often the first thing sacrificed amid life’s many demands.”

As women face about twice the risk of depression as men, it is especially important for them to maintain healthy sleep schedules to support their mental health and well-being, she noted.

It may be difficult for pregnant women to find a comfortable sleeping position, which can impact sleep quality, an expert said. (iStock)

“More broadly, quality sleep can support brain health, relationship health and overall physical health, including reducing the risk of heart disease,” the expert said.

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Proper sleep can also help women better manage stress, maintain a healthy weight and boost immune strength.

How much sleep is enough?

Sleep duration is “very dependent on the individual,” according to Lu.

“Get enough sleep that you feel rested and refreshed,” he advised. “Too many people focus on the specific amount of sleep needed and not about how they feel after waking up.”

“As a general rule of thumb, women can aim to get around 7.5 hours of sleep per night.”

Studies show that women tend to sleep up to 20 minutes more than men per day. (iStock)

Dr. Navya Mysore, medical director for the online health care platform Nurx, suggested that both men and women need about seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

“Too many people focus on the specific amount of sleep needed and not about how they feel after waking up.”

“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much more sleep a woman may need compared to men, as there are so many factors that can influence the quality of sleep — like stress levels, sleep hygiene habits, exercise, diet and alcohol,” New York-based Mysore told Fox News Digital.

“If you have a better quality of sleep, you may need closer to seven hours per night versus a person with a poorer quality of sleep, who needs closer to nine hours,” she added.

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Troxel agreed that instead of just focusing on sleep duration, men and women should be encouraged to “optimize all aspects of sleep health.”

This includes duration, quality and consistent sleep-wake patterns throughout the week, she said.

Sleep challenges affecting women

Women face more frequent hormonal changes, which Troxel said can lead to fragmented sleep and a higher risk of insomnia, especially during menstrual cycles, pregnancy and menopause.

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“Around 60% of women experience sleep disturbances during the menopausal transition, yet these symptoms often go untreated, which can have a significant negative impact on quality of life,” she said. 

Lu added that in the weeks leading up to a woman’s period, she may feel increasingly tired and require more sleep.

A person with better sleep quality will require fewer hours of sleep per night, an expert noted. (iStock)

In the second half of the menstrual cycle (or the luteal phase), progesterone levels rise, which can make women feel sleepier and may lead to poorer quality of sleep, according to Mysore.

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Pregnancy can also cause sleep difficulties.

“Many [pregnant] women have a hard time falling or staying asleep, which can lead to them feeling more tired during the day,” Lu said. 

“Effective non-drug treatments for insomnia are available, and it’s crucial to ensure these options are accessible to all women,” a sleep expert said. (iStock)

“There are also increased risks of obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome during pregnancy, which can factor into sleep quality.”

Symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, can also cause sleep disruptions.

“Around 60% of women experience sleep disturbances during the menopausal transition, yet these symptoms often go untreated.”

Both experts added that women fulfilling traditional caregiving roles and societal expectations while working can also contribute to sleep disruptions and added stress.

Those experiencing consistent sleep challenges should see a medical provider for recommendations.

A Massachusetts woman says she is “allergic to everything” and lives on a diet of oatmeal and hypoallergenic infant formula but is still able to make the best of it and have a happy holiday season. 

Caroline Cray, 24, first had an allergic reaction to ice cream in September 2017, going into anaphylactic shock, she told the news agency SWNS. 

She soon after had similar reactions to bread and pizza, then had a serious reaction after eating rice and beans and spent 12 days in an intensive care unit. 

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Initially, doctors were hopeful it would go away. 

“In the fall [of 2017], when I was having the repeated shocks, my allergist and ER doctors were under the assumption that my reactions would only last a few months,” she told SWNS. 

The doctors put her on antihistamine drugs and referred her to a specialist, she said. 

The reactions did not go away, something she said was “really discouraging.” 

“Every day I was wondering if I was going to end up in the hospital, I had a really tight throat and I was itchy and wheezing,” she said. 

After nearly a year of tests, Cray was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a rare chronic illness, in May 2018. MCAS causes repeated severe allergic reaction symptoms, she told SWNS. 

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Getting a diagnosis was emotional, she said, but also “validating.” 

“I am a very cut and dry person, but me and my mum, Julie, 59, were both crying,” she said. “It was validating that someone was finally like, ‘This is a chronic illness, and we need to treat it as one.'”

Caroline Cray, 24, of Massachusetts, has a rare condition and can only safely eat two different foods. (SWNS)

She felt a mixture of relief that her condition had a name, while grappling with thought of, “Oh God, I will live with this the rest of my life.'”

Six years after her diagnosis, she can only eat two things — oatmeal and specialized infant formula.

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“I am at the point where my diet is only EleCare and oatmeal,” she said, referring to a specific brand of hypoallergenic infant formula. 

“I will have that for three meals a day, and I only eat three times a day as I have to self-medicate beforehand,” she said, adding it is “really tough.” 

It took doctors 10 months to diagnose Cray with MCAS, a condition that gives her severe allergic reactions to foods.  (iStock)

Additionally, Cray takes a host of medications, including some taken daily, weekly and semi-monthly. 

Despite her food limitations and limited diet, Cray tries to act as normally as possible, and that includes the holidays. 

“I don’t rule myself out of things though,” she told SWNS, adding she joins her family for dinner at night. 

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“I will go out for meals, but I bring my own food. And I will go for nights out and take a water bottle,” she said, adding she is “always the designated driver” and is able to “fill people in on what has happened the night before.

“I have turned that into one of my favorite things,” Cray told SWNS. “I tell my friends I get secondhand drunk from them.”

“I will go out for meals, but I bring my own food. And I will go for nights out and take a water bottle.”

To better accommodate her condition, Cray hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas at her own home. 

“In the first couple of years of my diagnosis, I didn’t want to eat in front of anyone else,” she said.

“It is certainly hard because food is central to the holiday season, but there are a lot of factors that make me feel included in the ritual of Christmas.”

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Caroline Cray, second from left, with her siblings. She told the news agency SWNS she feels more included at Christmas because it is less about food than Thanksgiving.  (SWNS)

Now, Cray is hopeful she will be able to expand her diet beyond oatmeal and infant formula. 

“This is my fifth year of being on the oatmeal diet, and it is hard,” she told SWNS. “I would be lying if I said I don’t struggle because I do.

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“I am currently meeting with my MCAS therapist to try (trying) different foods,” she said. But, so far, nothing has worked, noting she has attempted to eat chicken, lamb, sweet potato and broccoli.

“I will try single foods one by one so if I have a reaction we know exactly what it is to,” she said. 

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A Texas daycare worker was arrested on accusations she kicked and pushed at least six toddlers over a three-month period.

Catherine Guziejka, 44, was booked into the Smith County Jail on Oct. 30 on six counts of injury to a child with the intent to cause bodily injury. She remains in custody, according to local outlet CBS 19.

A staffer at Punkin’ Doodles Day Care in Lindale, Texas, allegedly came across footage of some of the incidents. That staffer then notified a victim’s father, who contacted investigators.

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is still reviewing surveillance footage from the daycare, CBS 19 reported.

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The sheriff’s office said Guziejka was seen in the footage kicking six toddlers on 134 separate occasions between July and October. In one incident, Guziejka allegedly kicked a 2-year-old boy in his lower back while he was lying on the floor. 

Many of the videos showed a child watching TV when Guziejka allegedly came from behind and kicked them in the back.

The kicking incidents were observed on about 21 separate occasions, and the children were all two years old.

Several videos appeared to show her walking around as the children napped and aggressively adjusting them or moving them. Toddlers were also pulled from their beds during naptime and dragged by their arms to a changing table. 

Catherine Guziejka, 44, was booked into the Smith County Jail on Oct. 30. (iStock)

In several videos, Guziejka allegedly laid kids on the changing table aggressively, pushing their heads down and forcing them to face the wall as they attempted to look in the direction of the TV.

She is also accused of punishing some toddlers by standing on their hands.

A video showed Guziejka allegedly standing on a child’s left hand for seven seconds as the child attempted to pull their hand away in pain.

Deputies said the children were not being disruptive in the videos before Guziejka appeared to assault them. Deputies also said she was not seen attempting to console or comfort the children.

GEORGIA DAYCARE EMPLOYEE ARRESTED AFTER ASSAULTING CHILD ON VIDEO: POLICE

The sheriff’s office said Guziejka was allegedly caught on video kicking six toddlers on 134 separate occasions between July and October. (iStock)

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The sheriff’s office said it was apparent that Guziejka’s actions were random, intentional, unprovoked, violent in nature and done for the sole intent of inflicting pain.

Guziejka, who first began working at the daycare in September 2023, was fired the day the daycare’s owner learned of the abuse against the children.

The owner said she immediately called law enforcement and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate Guziejka’s behavior. The agency determined she could no longer work at any daycare, hospital, nursing home or facility that cares for vulnerable people.

The daycare has since been sold to a new owner.

President-elect Donald Trump chose Saturday night to announce that his long-time aide Kash Patel is his choice to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and for anyone interested in a good fumigation of the bureau, this is a cause for real optimism. 

Before we get to the laundry list of FBI abuses that Patel would hopefully put an end to, let us first establish that this is a well-credentialed man who served at high levels in the first Trump administration. This is not an influencer.

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But Patel is somebody with a fresh set of eyes who has a chance to identify and cure the abuses of an FBI that has become too often an enemy, not a friend of liberty and freedom.

For example, Patel would be taking over an FBI that has targeted Catholics. The FBI has decided that traditional Catholics need to be watched carefully because we might be adjacent to extremism.

As a Catholic, I will say that an FBI that does not spy on my churches as the FBI has done over the past several years would be a great improvement. Though, in fairness, the guy in the black shoes and white socks at Mass isn’t fooling anyone. I wish that was just a joke.

As Sen, Josh Hawley put it in questioning current FBI director Christopher Wray last year, “Good heavens, director, this is one of the most outrageous targetings — you have mobilized your division, the most powerful law enforcement division in the world, against traditionalist Catholics … and you just told us you have not fired a single person.”

A side-by-side of Kash Patel and President-elect Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

Want to go back a bit further? You remember the Durham Report? Where a special counsel found that, and I quote, “The FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law.” 

That’s kinda the whole mission, guys. Fidelity to law. That whole thing.

And that’s not all. Remember the raid on Mar-A-Lago? Melania Trump’s underwear drawer being searched and a public display of the evidence found there, splayed on the floor like an outtake from ‘Goodfellas?’

Did we ever see pictures like that from the FBI in regard to President Joe Biden’s classified documents? No.

Was there a reason the FBI had to treat the Trump raid like some kind of Call of Duty mission when President Joe Biden’s lawyers were given notice and high fives from the FBI? No.

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What Patel can bring to the FBI is fairness, honesty, the actual blindfold that lady justice is supposed to wear. No good person should fear that, it should not threaten anything true or just.

What Patel does threaten is an FBI establishment and leadership, an array of men and women in tweed with twisting Ivy degrees who have never been told no before. He may well say no, when they seek to crush freedom.

And well he should. Patel is not being put forth as FBI director to target enemies, but to take the target off of friends, and not just friends, but all of us. 

Do you have an FBI file? You don’t know. You might. Do I have an FBI file? I don’t know either, but I also might. And this is the point. These people have extraordinary power over all of us.

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Patel’s record suggests that he will use this power scarcely and judiciously when it comes to Americans expressing their beliefs and living their politics. That he will seek to punish crimes, not thoughts.

This is about the best we could ask for in an FBI director. No more political investigations, no more scores to settle. Just the fair and free execution of the law. There is every reason to believe that is exactly what Patel intends. 

And there is every reason to believe it can help our nation on its path to healing.

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A prominent Chinese journalist was sentenced in a Beijing court to seven years in prison for espionage, according to his family.

Dong Yuyu, a commentator and editor, was detained by police in February 2022 while he was meeting a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant, according to The Associated Press, and has been in police custody since.

The verdict on Friday named then-Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and Shanghai-based chief diplomat Masaru Okada as agents belonging to an espionage organization, Dong’s family said.

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Dong had served as the deputy head of the editorial department at Guangming Daily, a state-owned newspaper in China. He also contributed to the Chinese edition of the New York Times.

His published work includes his support for constitutional democracy and political reform, which were later deemed to be against the position of China’s Communist Party.

Dong had contacts with foreign diplomats, scholars and other journalists through his decades-long career as a journalist. He also considered Tarumi as a friend.

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Dong Yuyu, a commentator and editor, was detained by police in February 2022 while he was meeting a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant. (iStock)

His family said he knew he was always watched by state security, so he wanted to be as open as possible while meeting his Japanese or American contacts.

“With Yuyu’s conviction, every Chinese citizen, when dealing with the Japanese embassy — or perhaps any other foreign embassy and diplomat — will be expected to know that the Chinese government may consider those embassies to be ‘espionage organizations,'” the family said in a statement. “Every sensible Chinese citizen should be appalled by this reasoning.”

Dong had contacts with foreign diplomats, scholars and other journalists through his decades-long career as a journalist. (iStock)

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The U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, criticized Dong’s conviction.

“Punishing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and the press, guaranteed by the PRC’s constitution for all its citizens, is unjust,” Burns said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director evoked strong reactions from supporters and critics Saturday night.

Patel’s nomination hints at massive changes the agency will likely undergo during the second Trump administration. As a staunch supporter of Trump, Patel is a fierce critic of government corruption and the so-called “deep state” and has blasted the bureau in the past.

In a September interview with “The Shawn Ryan Show,” Patel said the FBI’s footprint “has gotten so frickin’ big.”

“I would shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state,” Patel said.

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Trump has not historically been a fan of the FBI, which raided his Florida estate in 2022 and years earlier investigated false claims he was a Russian asset. Most observers expect Trump will demand an agency overhaul by his director.

“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump said in a statement. “He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.”

Patel’s nomination was met with instant praise from Republicans. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Patel an “America First fighter.” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., also praised the pick.

“Great choice by @realDonaldTrump,” Donalds wrote on X. “Kash is a patriot and 100% America First.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, also issued his congratulations.

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Kash Patel, former chief of staff to the U.S. secretary of defense, speaks during a campaign rally for former President Trump at Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz., Oct. 13. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“Kash was INSTRUMENTAL in President Trump’s first term and will be EVEN GREATER in his second!” the former White House physician wrote. “Time to clean this place up, and Kash is the man to do it!!! MAGA!”

Commentators on the left, however, panned the pick. MSNBC’s Morning Joe previously called Patel the “personification of MAGA rage about the Justice Department and the FBI.”

On Saturday night, far-left commentator Mehdi Hasan accused Patel of being a “deeply strange and alarming and sycophantic figure.” Andrew McCabe, who briefly served as acting FBI director under Trump in 2017 before being fired for allegedly leaking to the media and a “lack of candor,” called Patel’s nomination “a plan to disrupt, to dismantle, to distract the FBI.”

“It’s a terrible development for the men and women of the FBI and also for the nation that depends on a highly functioning, professional, independent Federal Bureau of Investigation,” McCabe said on CNN. “The fact that Kash Patel is profoundly unqualified for this job is not even, like, a matter for debate.”

Trump nominated Patel to lead the FBI. (Getty Images)

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Tom Nichols, a staff writer for The Atlantic, told MSNBC Patel is “as dangerous as it gets.”

“I suppose if we still have the ability to be shocked, it’s shocking,” Nichols said. “But I think this is something … many of us saw it coming and, you know, shouldn’t be that surprising. But it’s an incredibly dangerous development.”

Two conditions will need to be met for Patel to take office. Current FBI Director Christopher Wray will either need to resign or be fired, and Patel will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Wray has not signaled an intent to resign. On Saturday night, the FBI told Fox News Digital Wray is focused on his work at hand.

Kash Patel, former chief of staff to the department of Defense, greets the crowd during a campaign rally at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., Oct. 8, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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“Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats,” an FBI spokesperson said. “Director Wray’s focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with and the people we do the work for.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is speaking out just over 24 hours after his team suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.

Pierce, who is in his first full season as the Raiders head coach, told members of the media that the Raiders believed referees had blown a whistle moments before the ill-fated fumble on the poorly timed snap. In the case of a whistle, the play in question would have been ruled dead.

Pierce also noted that the Raiders intend to submit video evidence in support of the claim to the NFL office for further review.

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After the Raiders defense forced the Chiefs to punt with just over two minutes remaining in the game, Las Vegas quickly managed to get in position to attempt a game-winning field goal. But the Raiders had a costly miscue on third down from the Kansas City 38-yard line with just 15 seconds remaining.

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The Raiders center prematurely snapped the ball as quarterback Aidan O’Connell surveyed the Chiefs defense. The ball bounced off O’Connell and onto the turf. The Raiders signal caller was not able to corral the botched snap, and it was recovered by the Chiefs. 

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (12) fumbles the snap against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

Referees did throw a flag on the play and penalized the Raiders for an illegal shift, but Kansas City decided to decline the penalty since they recovered the fumble. The NFL did stipulate that a false start would have been assessed if the clock was running at the time of the mishandled snap.

Patrick Mahomes then took a knee to allow the final seconds to tick off the clock.

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs recover a fumbled snap during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

O’Connell shouldered the blame for the mishap on the crucial play.

“It’s completely my fault,” the second-year said. “I was looking out to the right to make sure the guys were set and I started clapping. In my head I was thinking, signal the ball to get the ball, but when I start clapping it tells Jackson to basically snap the ball. Jackson did exactly what he should have done and I clapped too early.

“… Super tough, but there’s really no one to blame but myself. So, that’s probably the hardest part to swallow.”

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The win over the Raiders clinched a playoff spot for the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Raiders will try and regroup when they travel to Tampa Bay next week for a matchup against the Buccaneers.

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Justin Timberlake canceled another concert on his “The Forget Tomorrow World Tour” after he suffered a back injury in New Orleans.

On Saturday, the 43-year-old singer announced that his show at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City would not take place on Dec. 2 as previously scheduled. 

“I’m so sorry Oklahoma City,” the “Selfish” hitmaker wrote in a message he shared on his Instagram Story. “I have to cancel the show on 12/2. I hurt my back in Nola and my doctors have instructed me to rest a little bit longer. Thank you for your support — y’all know I hate doing this.”

A rescheduled date for the concert has not yet been announced.  Timberlake last performed at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Theater on Nov. 25, before taking a week-long hiatus over the Thanksgiving holiday.

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The cancelation of the Oklahoma City concert is the latest in a string of shows that Timberlake has called off over the past few weeks due to health issues.

In an Oct. 22 Instagram post, Timberlake announced on Instagram that he had to reschedule six concert dates after being diagnosed with bronchitis and laryngitis. 

Timberlake announced the cancelation on Instagram. (Justin Timberlake Instagram)

“Hey guys – I haven’t been feeling great the last few shows and turns out I have bronchitis and laryngitis,” he wrote. “I’m so sorry to say I do need to reschedule the next few shows from 10/23 through 11/2. New dates listed above. Thank you for understanding – I’ll make it up to you.’

The concerts in Chicago, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Columbus, Ohio, were rescheduled for dates in February 2025.

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Just under two weeks earlier, Timberlake drew ire from fans after he canceled an Oct. 8 show in Newark, New Jersey, 30 minutes before the doors were supposed to open. 

The 10-time Grammy Award winner shared the news on Instagram, claiming the postponement was due to an undisclosed “injury.”

The singer has canceled a string of concerts this fall due to health issues. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

“I’m so sorry to postpone tonight’s show. I have an injury that is preventing me from performing. I’m so disappointed to not see you all – but I’m working to reschedule ASAP. I promise to make it up to you and give you the show ya’ll deserve,” Timberlake wrote alongside a broken heart emoji.

“Thank you guys for understanding. Appreciate your support always,” he added.

Fans flocked to the comments section to share their thoughts, with many expressing outrage over the late notice. 

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“R U KIDDING. 30 minutes before doors!?” one fan commented. 

“Everyone going is 30+… we have full-time jobs, kids, families etc. We had to mentally prepare to stay up late, find childcare and pet sitters, take off of work to travel in,” another wrote. “2 hrs before showtime is unacceptable. And that’s IF you found out right away. Not everyone is checking social media. I was already there. Unbelievable.”

The former *NSYNC member performed at the rescheduled concert one week later. 

The Forget Tomorrow World Tour kicked off in April and will conclude next July. ( Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)

Timberlake returned to the road for the first time in five years with The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which he launched in support of his sixth studio album “Everything I Thought It Was.” The singer’s seventh headlining world tour kicked off on April 29 in Vancouver, Canada.

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The Memphis native is next set to perform at the Toyota Center in Houston on Dec. 4. The tour will run until Dec. 20, before resuming again on Jan. 13, after a hiatus during the holidays. 

“The Forget Tomorrow World Tour,” which features stops in North America, South America and Europe, will conclude in July.

San Jose State volleyball head coach Todd Kress provided a statement to Fox News Digital  Saturday after his team’s loss in the Mountain West Conference tournament final to Colorado State. 

Kress addressed the national controversy surrounding a transgender player on his team and seven forfeited conference matches, including a tournament semifinal with Boise State. 

“I will not sugarcoat our reality for the last two months. Our team prepared and was ready to play each match according to established Mountain West and NCAA rules of play. We did not take away anyone’s participation opportunities,” Kress wrote. 

Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State and Nevada forfeited a total of seven matches against SJSU this season. 

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Kress said each of those forfeits resulted in the team’s players, coaches and staffers receiving “appalling, hateful messages.”

“Sadly, others who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout. Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff and many associated with our program,” Kress wrote. 

The coach, in just his second season with the team, admitted it was one of the toughest seasons of his life. 

“This has been one of the most difficult seasons I’ve ever experienced, and I know this is true as well for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the court and ensuring the overall safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities,” Kress said. 

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Kress was named in a lawsuit filed by team co-captain Brooke Slusser and several other Mountain West players against the conference and San Jose State. The lawsuit alleges Kress has communicated with a private lawyer as part of his effort to get Slusser removed from the team and has told others he has filed Title IX complaints against Slusser based not on comments Slusser has made in practice, but on communications Slusser has made to the media and in public forums concerning her beliefs.

Slusser has also alleged the university has threatened to take away her scholarship for speaking on the issues of sharing a team, locker room and bedroom with transgender teammate Blaire Fleming. 

Still, Kress thanked Slusser in his statement Saturday, along with Fleming and the other seniors on the team. 

“Our team played their hearts out today, the way they have done all season. I want to recognize and thank our seniors — Alessia [Buffagni], Chandler [Manusky], Brooke [Bryant], Brooke and Blaire — for their tremendous efforts on the court all season long. They have all helped us to get where we are,” Kress wrote. 

Kress also thanked San Jose State University Police Chief Michael Carroll for his work protecting the team from potential threats this season. 

A San Jose State spokesperson previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that the program did not formally notify any of the opponents on its schedule of the situation involving Fleming and Slusser ahead of matches this season after Slusser joined her first lawsuit against the NCAA in September over her trans teammate’s presence. 

However, that spokesperson also confirmed the university did coordinate police protection for the players with the schools that hosted the team’s away matches after security measures had to be elevated due to the attention the team was getting. 

When Southern Utah became the first program to announce it would be forfeiting a match against the Spartans in early September, that was the first indicator of heightened security. That’s when the college brought in armed security.

INSIDE SAN JOSE STATE’S POLICE BATTLE TO PROTECT WOMEN’S ATHLETES THREATENED BY A TRANSGENDER CULTURE WAR

A San Jose State University spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital the volleyball team was told it would be getting added security of some kind after the first forfeit by an opposing program as news of Slusser’s lawsuit spread.

Shortly after the first forfeit, the university’s in-house police department was alerted to the situation and got involved. Police protection was assigned for every game thereafter, and police departments at other campuses were assigned to protect the team when it traveled. 

Police presence was noticeably strong for the Spartans’ first meeting against eventual conference champion Colorado State Oct. 3. Multiple officers were photographed on the court that night, looking alert in the stands, entrances and at the players. 

Slusser previously told Fox News Digital she had received a warning from a teammate Oct. 2, the night before a match, to “stay away” during the match because something “bad” was going to happen to her. 

San Jose State University responded to questions about whether federal investigators had been involved. 

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“The university has asked students and staff to share all concerning communications with UPD to be evaluated and addressed appropriately, including in conjunction with proper authorities where appropriate,” San Jose State said in a previous statement.

And Kress was tasked with coaching his team through all of it. Kress is not the coach who recruited Fleming to SJSU. That was former head coach Trent Kersten, who left the program after Fleming’s first season in San Jose State in 2022. 

A lawsuit that includes former Spartans assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose alleges Kersten recruited Fleming knowing the player was transgender but didn’t tell other players. 

Kress took over the program in 2023 and expressed frustration with Kersten’s decision in an interview with OutKick. 

San Jose State University Spartans head coach Todd Kress speaks with reporters after a loss against the Colorado State University Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., Oct. 3, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

“My frustration with Trent is an unfortunate situation,” Kress said. “[Kersten] obviously knows Blaire is in the crosshairs of this debate, and yet he has not reached out to [Fleming] one time to check in on [Fleming’s] mental health. I find it sad, to be honest.”

Before that, Kress suggested tension in the locker room because of Fleming’s presence on the team and Slusser’s lawsuits “might not be a bad thing.” 

“Sometimes tension is not necessarily a bad thing, and I’m not saying that there is. But, you know, when you do have tension or you do have confrontations, I mean, I’m a person that believes that, from confrontation, good things usually happen. We settle our differences, and we work through it,” Kress told reporters Oct. 3 after the first Colorado State match. 

“The last thing that I would want is there’s the white elephant in the room, and there is no tension, we don’t address it, and we never move past it, right? So I think there may be tension, but it dies. If we’re in a meeting room and there’s tension, it dies there. If there’s tension on the court, it dies there. We really don’t let the boundaries cross over, and that’s how I think we’ve been so successful thus far.”

Now the Spartans’ tournament run is over. The players made it through unharmed. But the lawsuits continue. 

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