The Olympics indoor and beach volleyball competitions elicited a variety of emotions, but the one that lingers with us even days after the medals were awarded is joy. Joy for the journey, joy for the experience, joy for wins and for the losses. 

These 14 photos beautifully capture the joy brought to the volleyball community by the 2016 Rio Olympics.

1. Kerri Walsh Jennings finds husband Casey Jennings in the stands after her bronze-medal victory.

Photo by USA Today Sports

2. Alison Cerutti releases a primal yell from atop the beach volleyball podium.

Photo by USA Today Sports

3. Brazil setter William Arjona celebrates with his daughter after his team won gold.

Photo by USA Today Sports

4. William Arjona and daughter again. They were cute enough to deserve two photos.

 
Photo by USA Today Sports

5. China's Xia Ding runs to embrace teammate Fangxu Yang in the women's gold medal match.

Photo by USA Today Sports

6. Taylor Sander and Kawika Shoji storm the court after the USA men came back from 0-2 to win the bronze medal.

Photo by USA Today Sports

7. Alison Cerutti gets a big smooch from his No. 1 lady after the rain-soaked men's beach gold medal match.

Photo by USA Today Sports

8. Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst do a victory lap after winning gold on the beach.

Photo by USA Today Sports

9. The USA women's team storms the court after securing the bronze medal over the Netherlands.

Photo by USA Today Sports

10. USA men's volleyball captain David Lee takes in his bronze medal moment.

Photo by USA Today Sports

11. It didn't hit this member of the China women's volleyball team until she felt the gold medal around her neck.

Photo by USA Today Sports

12. Brazil's Luiz Felipe was brought to his knees by the joy of winning gold.

Photo by USA Today Sports

13. USA libero Erik Shoji embraces his sister Cobey Shoji Hutzler, while Megan Shoji, wife of Kawika Shoji, can't keep away the tears of joy.

Photo by USA Today Sports

14. Have you ever seen a more joyful pair of faces?

Photos by USA Today Sports

​Check out all of our Olympics coverage at the event hub.