April Ross

April Ross is only one of the few beach volleyball players who have earned medals more than once at an Olympics. Ross will compete in Tokyo for her third Olympic medal alongside Alix Klineman, a first time Olympian. Ross also hopes to get her first Olympic gold. There is a chance that this is her only opportunity, given that she is 39 years old. But she's convinced that the top awards are within reach. Ross said on NBC Boston that if they are at their absolute best or even a good game, she believes the team will be able to win the gold medal. It's also going to be the result of luck. Ross, who was born 1982 and was raised within Costa Mesa California with her mother and sister, first began participating in sports at Newport Harbor High school. In Newport Harbor High School, she competed in numerous different sports. She competed in basketball and track, in addition to her volleyball skills in the indoors in her time as a college athlete. She was definitely superior to the rest in this latter game. The college bio says that she played outside of the hitter, middle blocker and setter throughout her volleyball time at high school. Gatorade Circle of Champions named her as the National Player 1999. She also captured the 2000 Orange County Athlete of the Award for volleyball. Ross and Klineman might have begun working together in 2017, but Ross had already been a seasoned player at the beach before they teamed up. In actual Ross has won a number of major tournaments in her career with two partners. One of them is a legend. From 2007 to 2013 she was in a partnership with Jennifer Kessy, who is now her coach. Ross, Kessy's fellow teammate who won the world title with Kessy in 2009, was also a major force on international stage. In 2012, the pair took silver in London's Olympics. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Jennings the legendary team that was the winners of the 2012 Olympics in London, took each other to take home the gold medal. Ross Jennings was May-Treanor's replacement as she left the team. They went on to compete for the bronze medal in beach volleyball at Rio Olympics in 2016 along with Walsh Jennings. Ross played for the Trojans of USC during her college days, years before becoming a professional. The Trojans had a great career for Ross in the college level. In 2000, as a freshman she fought her way to Pac-10 as well as NCAA The Freshman of the Year accolades. She also earned an All-American. Her Trojans were also able to make it to the Final Four. She suffered a devastating personal loss in her sophomore season however she was able to return her place as an All-American. Over the course of the two years she played for the Trojans she was instrumental in helping them to win two consecutive titles. She was a great volleyball player and won the Honda Sports Award in 2003-04 as the most outstanding female college volleyball player. Ross took a course in international relations at USC. Sadly, Ross mom Margie did not get to see Ross rise to the highest levels of beach volleyball superstardom. Ross lost the breast cancer that she battled in the year 2001. Ross was then a sophomore. As a result, Ross is still near to her mother who passed away. Margie has inspired her in her life and on the beach.