April Ross

April Ross has won more than one Olympic medal. She is among the few women beach volleyball athletes to have achieved this feat. Ross will compete in Tokyo to compete for her third Olympic medal with Alix Klineman who is a first time Olympian. Ross hopes to win more than her initial Olympic medal. As she turns 39, it could be her final chance to take home the gold medal at an Olympics. Nevertheless, she remains convinced of winning top awards. Ross was quoted on NBC Boston as saying that when you perform at your very top, even if you do well, we'll get the gold. It's also going to be the result of luck. Ross was born in California in Costa Mesa, California in 1982. She lived here with her mother, father and younger sister. Ross went on to play in numerous activities during her time at Newport Harbor High School. Being a pre-athlete she was also a participant in indoor volleyball and track. Though she excelled when playing indoors, it was clear that her skills were above the average. Her college biography states that she was an outside hitter middle blocker, as well as a setter during her volleyball career during high school. Gatorade Circle Of Champions named her the National Player in 1999. The skills she showed in volleyball also earned her an Orange County Athlete of the Years trophy in 2000. Ross and Klineman began their partnership in 2017, however, Ross had been a beach-scene star for years before. As a matter of fact, Ross has won several significant tournaments during her time together with two other partners. One is a volleyball legend. For six years from 2007 to 2013 she teamed with Jennifer Kessy who more recently was Klineman's coach. Kessy was Ross's co-coach at the 2009 World Championships. They went into winning a silver at the 2012 Olympic Games at London. 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. Ross Jennings took over for May-Treanor after she announced her retirement. They won the bronze medal in beach volleyball during the Rio Olympics in 2016. Ross competed for USC Trojans during her college days, the years prior to her professional career. Her time at USC was a memorable one. When she was a freshman in 2000 the Trojans' performance earned her the Pac-10 as well as NCAA Freshman-of-the-Year honors. The Trojans were also able to make it to the Final Four. The Trojans suffered a significant personal loss during her sophomore year, yet was able to achieve the All-American award. In her last two seasons in the program she led the Trojans up to the summit of the mountain netting consecutive national championships. Ross was an excellent volleyball player, winning the Honda Sports Award in 2003-04 as the most outstanding female volleyball player in the NCAA. Ross was who was a USC international relations student was a volleyball star. Unfortunately Ross mother Margie was not able to witness Ross rise to the highest levels of beach volleyball stardom. Ross's mother passed away from breast cancer while she was a sophomore at USC. She is devoted to her late parent. Margie has inspired her in her life and on the beach.