Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines has sparked a heated debate after criticizing a suggestion that volleyball spiking should be banned to protect female players from potential injuries when competing against transgender athletes.
The controversy began during what appears to be a congressional hearing where a representative suggested that banning the volleyball spike move might be a solution to safety concerns in women’s sports.
In response to this suggestion, Gaines took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her incredulity: “We should ban punching in boxing—after all, it could be unsafe. This is their logic.”
In another post that Gaines shared, she wrote: “President of the National WOMENS Law Center says the best way to ensure female volleyball players don’t suffer injuries from men who say they’re girls is by banning spiking the ball all together. It’s so funny when people who have never played a competitive sport comment on sports.”
The exchange that prompted Gaines’ response appears to have involved discussion about a volleyball player named Peyton McNabb and an incident that occurred on September 1, 2022. During what seems to be testimony, someone acknowledged that what happened to McNabb was “tragic” but suggested that “the answer is to ensure that people can’t spike volleyballs into people’s heads. That seems unsafe.”
Gaines, who has become a prominent advocate for women’s sports, has been vocal about her concerns regarding transgender athletes competing in women’s categories. Her post garnered significant support from followers who shared her sentiments.
One user responded: “Next they will suggest 6 on 6 ‘girls’ basketball,” while another commented: “They’re going to fail on this issue. Men have no right to be in women’s sports.”
A volleyball player added context to the discussion: “As someone who grew up in So. Cal. and played volleyball most of my life, spiking the ball is an essential part of the game. I was going into HS when Title IX was enacted. That is the way we got our Volleyball teams etc. It is very upsetting to see what is happening.”
Former gymnast and executive Jennifer Sey also weighed in with sarcasm: “We should eliminate water from swimming so no one drowns, and definitely eliminate all the flips in gymnastics cuz those are dangerous.”
