April Ross

April Ross is one of just a handful of female beach volleyball players who have won medals in multiple Olympics. Ross will compete in Tokyo for her 3rd Olympic medal with Alix Klineman who is a first-time Olympian. Ross's goal is to win her first Olympic gold medal. There is a chance that it is her last chance, at 39 years old. But she's convinced that winning the gold medal is within reach. Ross was reported by NBC Boston as saying that if you play your best, even if you play well we will get the gold. Then I will also take the chance to have chance. Ross was born in Costa Mesa, California in 1982. Her parents and her sister lived there. Ross competed in many sports during her time at Newport Harbor High School. She competed in basketball and track in addition to her volleyball skills in the indoors as a prep athlete. But she stood out in this sport. Through her high school years, she played middle blocker, outside setter and hitter on the volleyball court per her college bio. Thanks to her hard work she was named the 1999 Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year. She also captured the 2000 Orange County Athlete of the year award for volleyball. Ross and Klineman have been doing what they do from the year 2017. But, Ross played a significant role on the beach volleyball circuit prior to the pair. As a matter of fact Ross has been a winner of several important tournaments throughout her career with two partners. One is a volleyball legend. From 2007 to 2013, she was partnered by Jennifer Kessy, who is currently her coach. Kessy was Ross's co-coach at the World Championships in 2009. The duo eventually captured a silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Misty Maytreanor (Jennings) and Misty Maytreanor clinched gold overtaking them. Ross Walsh was Walsh Jennings new partner after May-Treanor's retirement. In 2016, the pair took bronze at the Rio Olympics for beach volleyball. Ross was a student athlete at USC Trojans prior to beginning starting her professional career. She played during high school, and even years prior to hitting the beach as a professional. Her career was a success during her time in college. When she was a freshman at the school in 2000 she fought her way to Pac-10 as well as NCAA All-American Freshman of Year awards and was an All-American. She also helped the Trojans to make it to their first Final Four. Her personal tragedy was a crushing loss during her sophomore year, but she still repeated as an All-American. Through her final two seasons with the Trojans, she helped them achieve consecutive championships. She was a great volleyball player and won the Honda Sports Award in 2003-04 as the top female college volleyball player. Ross took a course in international relations at USC. Margie Ross was never able to witness her daughter's climb to the beach volleyball spotlight. Ross's mother died of cancer of the breast when she was a sophomore at USC. As a result, Ross is still close to her parent who died. Margie at the beach and in daily life, continues to inspire her.