April Ross

April Ross was one of just a handful of women beach volleyball athletes who earned medals during several Olympics. Alix Klineman is the newest Olympian and is set to join the team in Tokyo. Ross will also be hoping for her very first Olympic gold. As she is 39, it may be her last chance. Her optimism is that she can achieve top honors. Ross declared on NBC Boston: "If we try our best, and even If we play our best, I think we could be able to win gold." "I'm also going to try to have a bit of luck." Ross was born in 1982 in Costa Mesa California where she lived with her parents and her sister. Ross's athletic endeavors began at Newport Harbor High School where she was a part of a number of different sports. She competed in basketball and track, in addition to her volleyball skills in the indoors as a prep athlete. But she clearly was a cut above the rest in the latter sport. When she played in her time at the high school level, according to her college profile, she played as a middle-blocker, outside-hitter and setter. In recognition of her work she was named in 1999 as the Gatorade Champion of Champions Circle of Champions Player of the Year. The year 2000 was the time she was awarded her the Orange County Athlete of the year award for volleyball. Ross and Klineman have been performing their roles since 2017. However, Ross played a significant role on the beach volleyball circuit before the pairing. In fact, she's been able to win multiple events, and one was won by an iconic volleyball player. In the period 2007-2013 she played alongside Jennifer Kessy who more recently was Klineman's coach. Together, Kessy Ross, she was a major force in the world circuit, winning an international title in 2009. They eventually won an Olympic silver medal during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. They were knocked out of the gold by the legendary group of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (Jennings). It was fate that had them. Ross became Walsh Jennings' new partner as May-Treanor stepped down. Together, they took home bronze in beach volleyball at the Rio Olympics in the year 2016. Following high school, and for a few several years prior to hitting the beach as a professional Ross balled out with the Trojans of USC as an NCAA. Ross's Trojans experience was remarkable. When she was a freshman at the school in 2000 she played her way to Pac-10 and NCAA Freshman of the Year awards and was an All-American. In addition, she helped her Trojans to reach the Final Four. The Trojans suffered a significant personal defeat in her sophomore year yet was capable of achieving the All-American award. The last two years with the Trojans' program the team was led to victories by winning successive national titles. The achievements of each individual have established her place as a legendary volleyball player. She was awarded the Honda Sports Award 2003-04 for the best female college player. Ross, a USC international relations student, was a star in volleyball. Margie Ross, Ross' mother, was never given the opportunity to see Ross' daughter blossom into the beach volleyball's biggest star. Ross's mom died from breast carcinoma in 2001. Ross had just become sophomore at USC. She is devoted to her parents who passed away. And Margie remains a source of encouragement for her on the beach and in life.