April Ross

April Ross is one of the few female beach volleyball players to capture medals at many Olympics. In Tokyo over the next several days, she'll be aiming to win her third gold medal along with the first-time Olympian Alix Klineman. Ross also hopes to get her very first Olympic medal. This may be the last time she has the chance at age 39. Nevertheless she is confident that the top awards are within reach. Ross was mentioned on NBC Boston as saying that If you put in your highest, and even play well we will get the gold. It's also going to be an issue of luck. Ross, who was born 1982 and lived in Costa Mesa California with her siblings and parents, started playing sports at the Newport Harbor High School. Ross was a competitive athlete in a variety of activities while at Newport Harbor High School. As a pre-schooler she played the indoor game of volleyball, as well as basketball and running track. She was clearly the best player in indoor volleyball. In her college profile, she played outside of the hitter, middle blocker and setter in her volleyball playing career in high school. In recognition of her work she was named an 1999 Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year. Also, in 2000 she was named Orange County Athlete of the year for volleyball. Ross and Klineman are performing their roles in 2017. But, Ross was a major player in the world of beach volleyball before the pairing. In actual Ross has been a winner of several major tournaments in her career together with two other partners. One is a volleyball legend. From 2007 until 2013 she was in a partnership with Jennifer Kessy, who is the coach she is currently. Kessy was Ross's partner on the 2009 World Championships. The duo were awarded silver medals at the London Olympic Games. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Jennings, the team of legends who won the 2012 Olympic Games in London, edged their opponents to claim the gold medal. Ross Jennings took over for May-Treanor after she announced her retirement. Together, they won bronze in beach volleyball at the Rio Olympics in the year 2016. Ross was a Trojans player for the USC throughout her college years before becoming a professional. Her time at USC was an impressive one. When she was a freshman in 2000, her play earned her the Pac-10 as well as NCAA Young Player of the Year awards. She also helped the Trojans get to into the Final Four. Her personal tragedy was a crushing loss in her sophomore season and yet she went on to repeat in the ranks of an All-American. The two years following her she led the Trojans up to the summit and took home consecutive national championships. In 2003-2004, she was named the top female volleyball player on the collegiate scene in the US by the Honda Sports Award. Ross who was an USC international relations student, was a volleyball star. Margie Ross did not see her daughter achieve the heights of beach volleyball. Ross's mom died from breast carcinoma in 2001. Ross had just become sophomore at USC. However, she continues to hold her lost parent near and close. Margie is a source of inspiration, both off and on at the beach.