April Ross

April Ross is only one of the few beach volleyball players to have won medals multiple times at an Olympics. Alix Klineman is a new Olympian and will join the team in Tokyo. Ross is determined to earn more than her first Olympic medal. At 39, this could be her last chance to win an Olympic gold. But she's confident top awards can be achieved. If we do our highest or do well, I believe we'll win the gold medal Ross declared on NBC Boston. "I'm planning to test some luck." Ross was born in California, Costa Mesa in 1982. Her parents and her sister resided there. While at Newport Harbor High School, she competed in numerous different sports. Apart from indoor volleyball, she ran track and basketball as a pre-collegiate athlete. She stood out however at this level. Her college biography states that she was an outside-hitting hitter middle blocker and setter throughout her volleyball time in high school. In recognition of her work, she was honored as in 1999 as the Gatorade International Player of the year in Circle of Champions. The skills she showed in volleyball also earned her the Orange County Athlete of the Awards in the year 2000. Ross Klineman and Ross may have started working together in 2017, but Ross was an experienced player at the beach before they teamed up. In actual Ross has won a number of significant tournaments during her time along with her two teammates. One of them is a legend. Jennifer Kessy coached her from 2007 until 2013. Kessy and Ross were a formidable force in the international arena, taking home the 2009 World Championship as a team. They took home a Silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games held in London. Misty Maytreanor's legendary team as well as Kerri Jennings took home the gold. As fate would have it Ross was Walsh Jennings' new partner when May-Treanor retired. Both went on to win the bronze medal in beach volleyball at the Rio Olympics in 2016 along with Walsh Jennings. Ross competed for USC Trojans during her college days, the years prior to her professional career. Ross's Trojans experience was amazing. Her freshman year in 2000 earned her the Pac-10 as well as NCAA Freshman's of the Award and also be named an All-American. In addition, she helped her Trojans get to the Final Four. After her sophomore year, she experienced a terrible personal loss, yet earned the distinction of being an All-American. In her last two seasons as a member of the Trojans' program the team was led to victory by winning the national title in consecutive years. In 2003-2004, Ross was named the top female volleyball player at a collegiate level in America through the Honda Sports Award. Ross studied international relations at USC. Margie Ross did not see her daughter reach the top of beach volleyball. Ross lost the breast cancer that she battled in the year 2001. Ross was then a sophomore. But, she will always keep her mother's memory close and close. And Margie continues to be an encouragement for her on the beach and in life.