Kerri Walsh Jennings ain't backing down from her anti-COVID mask stance even in the wake of serious backlash ... saying she believes fighting against face coverings is equivalent to fighting for freedom.
"I truly believe we are on the slippery slope of a mask mandate evolving into a vaccine mandate," the 3-time Olympic gold medalist volleyball player said. "That scares the [fire emoji] out of me."
The 42-year-old posted a lengthy statement on social media Sunday railing against COVID restrictions ... even saying she recently went out shopping without a mask on to prove a point.