Every four years, countries gather together and pretend to be interested in sports such as women's volleyball. These athletes smash a ball back and forth over a net like it's nothing! If you have ever actually tried to play volleyball, it's not as easy as it looks. The women make it look like a walk in the park with their coordinated passing, intricate placement, and powerful spikes.
Let's be real though, not all men are watching volleyball to analyze the proper execution of bump, set, spike. In the gym, these women are dressed in tight spandex shorts that barely obscure their buttocks, and on the beach, it's a competition to see who can wear the least amount of clothing. Let's not forget about the tight team huddles where ass slaps are a form of currency.
Despite the blatant physical displays of these athletes, these women are professionals, and deserve the utmost respect for their expertise. But, there will always be photographers and cameramen at these events, objectifying these fierce competitors. These women are at the pinnacle of physical fitness, and the photos prove it. It's time to bring these pictures to light and list 15 photos of female volleyball players taken by creepy photographers. While some of these pics may be enticing, others are just plain sinister.
15 15. Who Authorized Those Shorts?
When it comes to risque outfits in volleyball, most of our minds go to the beach. These athletic women dress in some of the smallest uniforms in sports, diving around, leaving little to the imagine. Somehow, the "less is more" philosophy of volleyball clothing made it's way into the gym. Someone needs to call this collegiate team's equipment manager to order them some new spandex shorts. I can't speak for women, but doesn't that feel a little exposed? Maybe the breeze from the A/C graces the wrong area? It seems like with one false step, you could be the next "Lindsay Lohan leaving a Limo." Again, not a woman, but I feel for these ladies.
As a man, there were times in sports when protective equipment is too big or too small. But we would then just grab a different size. Assuming these women are representing some sort of university or organization, we would like to think that they eventually received some proper attire.
14 14. The Internet Goes Crazy With Volleyball Twins
Meet the Brazilian volleyball sisters Maria Clara & Carolina Salgado. Those soft smiles are complemented nicely by their rock hard abs. They have been making their rounds around the beach volleyball circuit since the early 2000s, but have yet to achieve great success. In this photo, there is nothing too sinister about it (well, maybe the camereman's angle is a little awkward), but it's not the photo itself that is creepy. It's the troves of internet photoshoppers that completely turned this picture on its head.
As you can see from the link, these people had their fun editing these ladies. Most of them are harmless fun, but some of the photos are a little disturbing. Either way, just let the siblings be! On a separate note, it's good that if the English language ever dies, we can just look to Brazil's beach volleyball uniforms to figure out what a bra is!
13 13. Good Game, Good Game
Slapping butts in sports is as common as corruption in politics. Your teammate makes a good play, you give them a nice "good game" love tap on their rear end. There are some rules to the sport butt slap though. First, there can't be any prolonged contact. It's a light tap, then retreat. Second, one hand only. A double-cheek slap is not only creepy, but unnecessary. Third, no need to hone in on the target. Maintain eye contact! Fourth, don't seek out the slap. When your bro (or sis in this case) smashes the set into the ground on the other side of the net, no need to run over for the full speed smack. Be patient, let them come to you, and congratulate them appropriately. Last, the butt slap is only acceptable during game play. Once the final bell sounds, it's no touching! I think you're ready to start giving some "good game, bros" in your rec league! For now, enjoy these Russian volleyball players execute a perfect butt slap.
12 12. Let the girl stretch!
We had to come back to Winifer Fernandez and after seeing all the shots of her out there where she's filmed or photographed provocatively, we can say she had the right to be upset out some creepy photographers out there! This is a still shot taken from a two-minute video in which the cameraman is constantly zooming in on Fernandez as her trainer tries to help her stretch. Any athlete has to get loosened up before and after enduring some physical activity, but this guy just wouldn't stop! You would have thought the photographer would have something else catch his eye, but he was perfectly content to film every body part of Fernandez get loosened up. We're surprised on one tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to move his camera a little.
11 11. Excuse Me, I'm Trying To Warm Up Here
This lady has no shame whatsoever. She's trying to gear up for an intense match on the court, getting a good stretch in her quads and hip abductors, while some dude is sitting there with his Nikon, trying snap some pregame glamour shots. It sucks that these female athletes have to deal with "peeping toms" all of the time. It's not even the actual game yet bro! Shouldn't you be shooting something else? After a little more research, we have discovered this women's name is Klara Peric, a member of the Croatian team.
As we can see though, Peric owns this photographer. She was ready with perfectly groomed eyebrows, pristine eyelashes, and alluring grin. Male cameramen probably flock to her in numbers! It may be an inconvenience for most athletes, but Peric understands the position she's in, and remains cool, calm, and beautiful.
10 10. Staying Hydrated
These women are pushing the limits of their physical capabilities, and braving the heat and humidity, all with barely any clothing. Sometimes though, you have to cool down some "hidden" areas. Unfortunately for this athlete, the camera caught her "watering the garden" during one of her matches. How long do you think this photographer was zooming in one her just to get that shot? It's extremely creepy when you think about it.
In the photo, you can make out a name on those white bottoms, and it turns out that the unsuspecting victim of this picture is none other than Brazilian star, Ana Paula. Paula has been to four Olympic games, two for indoor volleyball and two for beach volleyball. She was a member of the team hat won bronze in 2008 in Beijing as well. Let's celebrate her accomplishments, instead of exploiting her mishaps.
9 9. Crack Kills
Former Olympic volleyball player, Liliana Fernandez, is notorious for wearing slightly undersized bottoms during her matches. There's nothing wrong with that; her body, her rules. But what's up with these creepy shutterbugs that insist on constantly shooting photos of her butt crack? We get it, everyone has one. I'm more concerned with the logistics of the whole outfit. When I go to the beach, I could lay in the sand for 20 minutes and still be digging it out of places I didn't know previously existed. Fernandez must go through hell to rid herself of that pesky particle!
When it comes to volleyball, Fernandez, and her teammate Elsa Baquerizo are pretty damn good. They competed in the London Olympics in 2012, only to be ousted by the Italians in the final round of 16. We should be focusing on their dominance in the sport, not plastering photos of her gluteal cleft all over the web!
8 8. Someone's Insensitive
Move over Yuri Guirriel, there is another group of gals that beat you to the racist punch. The Serbian National Women's Volleyball team posed "slant-eyed" for photographers after a win against Poland, which secured their spot in the 2018 FIVB World Champions. Oh yeah, the games are being held in Japan , too! The post has since been removed, but has caused tons of backlash throughout social media.
Who even thought this was a good idea? There are 14 women and at least one photographer. That's 15 racist idiots who will probably get their butts beat on the streets of Japan next year. Note to everyone who ever takes a group photo. When the cameraman says "Now, let's do a funny one," don't even think about doing racist crap like this. Just stick your tongue out or throw up some "bunny ears" and call it a day.
7 7. Parlez-vous français?
Photoshop is a blessing and a curse isn't it? It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake on the internet these days. The photo on the right of a French beach volleyball player bounced around the internet, leaving viewers in a trance. But, the truth came out that some amateur editor decided to resize this beautiful lady's behind. To be honest, we should be celebrating these women's athletic bodies, not enhancing them on the computer, just to get a few extra clicks here and there
Unfortunately though, the women in the picture is not an actual volleyball player! Meet Anais Zanotti, a french model and stuntwomen, who just happened to be participating in a volleyball-themed photoshoot. That doesn't take away from the fact that this paparazzo took a creepy shot of Zanotti undressing!
6 6. Wedgie!
We aren't sure who this beach volleyball tandem is, but we can relate to both parties in this perfectly timed photograph. First off, you've got the girl who's in a no-win situation picking her wedgie. These athletes sprint, shuffle, and dive all over the sand, and are expected to do it in a skin tight bikini? That's gotta be tough. I can't even go to the gym without compression shorts in fear that loose boxers may get bunched up on during squats. Props to this gal who went for it and fixed her wardrobe malfunction. We salute you.
On the other hand, you've got her teammate, who thinks this whole situation is absolutely hilarious. And she's right! Good friends laugh at each other's expense, and that's just fine. So next time your friend has to relieve themselves from their butt clamp, go ahead and laugh, and hope there isn't a photographer lurking around the corner.
5 5. Internet Star Winifer Fernandez
In 2016, the world was taken by storm by Dominican volleyball star, Winifer Fernandez. Some creepy fan put together a highlight compilation of the Latin libero, and it wasn't of her best for her digs or bumps. Well, actually, it was a little bit about her bumps, but not the volleyball kind. The internet went crazy over Winifer's beauty and personality, yet in reality, while still young, her skills need some improvement. The video was posted around the time of the summer Olympics, leading viewers to believe that the DR would be competing, yet they never qualified.
After her viral fame, Fernandez came out and denounced the video, feeling she was overly sexualized. The Dominican athlete wants to be remembered for her volleyball skills, not her body. Still though, there is no doubting her beauty, and we hope to see her compete at a high level in the future.
4 4. When Anime and Sports Mix
This one is out of the ordinary, and uncharted territory for me. Shiho Yoshimura was a star for the Japanese Volleyball team in the 2016 Olympics. From her play on the court, to her bubbling personality off of it, Yoshimura won the hearts of fans across the world in Rio. From this popularity, came the creepy, and oddly talented, people who have made her an anime star. So, what about Yoshimura makes her such a perfect canvas?
The curious answer is her mermaid thighs. Her curvy outline, in combination with her Japanese heritage, has anime artists drooling over their digital pens. Several athletes have been immortalized in anime, but not to this extent. While it may be creepy and outlandish, it's a tribute to Yoshimura's success and attitude. Check out some more drawings here.
3 3. How Come I Didn't Get A Valentine's Day Card?
Wait, those aren't the group pictures that we used to take for sports. These women are part of the volleyball team at Durham College in Queens (and yes, they are all adults). There has to be some kind of lost bet involved here, because who is willingly stripping down to snap a team photo? You've got to imagine the photographer is a teammate who didn't want to participate in this type of debauchery. How did that conversation even start? "Alright ladies, listen up! Before practice tomorrow, we are going to do a topless team photo for Valentine's Day, we just need you to bring in something heart-themed decorations to cover up!" And then everyone just seemingly went along with the plan. Not to mention this was taken inside the team facility! I'm just baffled on all levels.
2 2. Every Beach Volleyball Player Ever
If you search women's beach volleyball on Google, hundreds and hundreds of images photos, similar to the one above, would pop up. These shutterbugs are just focusing in on these women's midsections, butts, and twins. Jezebel even wrote a piece, condemning these photographers for leering at these women. They are celebrating their bodies, rather than their abilities. Can you imagine if they shot pictures of men's sports like they did for women's volleyball? Michael Phelps would be lined up in the starting blocks, about to demolish his own world record, and a professional cameraman would be zoomed-in on the bulge of his Speedo. That never happens!
For those of you out their that go by the philosophy, "If they don't like being exploited, they should where something else," imagine rolling around in the sand in full clothing. You are wet and sweaty, and there are five pounds of sand stuck to you. Let them wear what they want, and just stop gawking!
1 1. Celebrate Good Times!
Well, that's just bad timing mixed with an unfortunate angle! In a list of unknown volleyball players, you have got to recognize these two dominant women, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Mist May-Treanor.These American ladies have dominated the beach volleyball world over the last fifteen years, bringing home three straight gold medals, from 2004-2012, in the summer Olympics, after which May-Treanor retired.
The photo pictured is from when the duo won gold in Athens back in 2004. They defeated the Brazilian team of Bede and Behar in the final match in straight sets! At first glance at this pic, you probably said, "WTF are they doing?" Let's all take a moment to appreciate May and Walsh's talents over the years, but also take a moment to just laugh your tail off at the photo!