April Ross

April Ross has won more than one medal at the Olympics. She is among a few women beach volleyball athletes that have done so. Alix Klineman is a new Olympian and will join her at Tokyo. Ross's dream is to earn her first Olympic gold medal. With her age of 39, this may be Ross' last chance to take home an Olympic gold. However, she's confident that the top awards are at hand. Ross through NBC Boston, said that if the team plays very well, or even at all, it could be able to win gold. Also, it's a matter of chance. Ross was a Californian born in the city of Costa Mesa in 1982. She lived here along with her parents and younger sister. Ross competed in many sports during her time at Newport Harbor High School. In addition to playing indoor volleyball, she also played basketball and jogged track as a pre-collegiate athlete. However, she was a standout at this level. In her college profile, she was an outside hitter middle blocker, as well as a setter throughout her volleyball time at high school. She was awarded the Gatorade National Circle of Champions player of the year in 1999, for her performance. She also captured the 2000 Orange County Athlete of the Year trophy for volleyball. Ross and Klineman may have begun working together in 2017, but Ross was an experienced athlete at the beach prior to when they came together. The American has been a major winner in events twice, with various partners. A couple of those is an icon of the world of volleyball. Between 2007 and 2013 she played by 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. This duo went into winning a silver at the 2012 Olympic Games at London. They were defeated for the gold medal by the legendary duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (Jennings). Ross Jennings took over for May-Treanor after she had retired. In 2016, the pair won bronze in the Rio Olympics for beach volleyball. Ross began her college time with the Trojans at USC following her high school days. The Trojans were a few years away from when Ross hit the sand and turned professional. This was an impressive performance for Ross during her time at the school. She was an All-American and Pac-10 Freshman of Year when she was a teen freshman. Additionally, she assisted her Trojans get to the Final Four. After her sophomore year she suffered a devastating personal tragedy, but was able to be named an All-American. In her last two seasons with the Trojans team they won victories by winning successive national titles. She had established her place as a legend having won the 2003-04 Honda Sports Award as the nation's top female collegiate volleyball player. Ross studied International Relations at USC. Sadly, Ross mom Margie never got to see Ross's daughter reach the very top of beach volleyball stardom. Ross's mom passed away due to breast cancer while she was a sophomore at USC. Ross holds her mother close to her heart. Margie has inspired her both in her personal life and at the beaches.