The "Kill Shot" That Never Was: How a Mediocre Athlete Became a Right-Wing Martyr

The "Kill Shot" That Never Was: How a Mediocre Athlete Became a Right-Wing Martyr

So, let’s talk about Peyton McNabb, the volleyball player invited to the State of the Union because a supposed transgender athlete spiked a volleyball into her face and ended her career.

Except... that’s not actually what happened.

1. Did a Transgender Athlete Actually Spike the Ball?

Every article about this says "allegedly transgender" or that McNabb claims the player was "born a man." But guess what? No official source—not the school, the North Carolina Athletic Association, or even the supposed athlete themselves—has confirmed this.

If this player really were trans, don't you think the MAGA outrage machine (Riley Gaines, Charlie Kirk, etc.) would’ve been on this before the season even started?

But nope. Silence. No complaints, no school board drama, nothing. Almost like... the player wasn’t trans.

2. Did It Actually End Her Career?

McNabb joined a sports highlight website eight days after her so-called career-ending injury.

She also continued playing sports, including basketball and softball. Her own testimony later had to be changed from "it ended my career" to "I’m not as good as I used to be."

I’ve heard of knee injuries, torn Achilles tendons, and concussions that sideline athletes. But an injury where you keep playing, but now just 30% worse? That’s a new one.

3. The Right-Wing Grift is in Full Swing

McNabb’s team was 1-7 when she played and her basketball highlights are just steals—which is code for not very good. But now?

Invited to the White House

Recognized at the State of the Union

Star of a new documentary called Kill Shot: How Peyton McNabb Turned Tragedy Into Triumph (yes, that’s real)

All of this over a volleyball game.

Meanwhile, the girl on the other end of this story—who likely isn’t even trans—has to remain silent because if she comes forward, she’ll get the Amani Khalif treatment.

(If you don’t remember, Khalif was a cisgender female boxer falsely accused of being a man. She provided proof, childhood photos, and official records, but none of it mattered. To this day, MAGA still swears a “man” won a women’s boxing gold medal.)

The Bottom Line

This whole thing isn't about fairness in sports. It’s about manufacturing outrage and turning mediocre athletes into martyrs so conservatives can keep fear-mongering about trans people.

And if they can do this over volleyball—a sport that grown adults play co-ed in bars—then they can do it with anything