April Ross

April Ross is one of the few female beach volleyball athletes to capture medals at multiple Olympics. Alix-Klineman will be competing with Ross at Tokyo to win her third gold medal over the next couple of days. In addition, Ross will be aiming for the first Olympic gold. In fact, at 39, it could be her final chance to achieve it. However, she is certain of taking top honors. Ross stated to NBC Boston that if they are at their absolute best and even play well her team can win a gold medal. "I'm planning to test a little luck." Ross is born in the year 1982. Costa Mesa California where she lived with her parents and her sister. Ross was a competitive athlete in a variety of sports while attending Newport Harbor High School. As a pre-schooler she was a participant in basketball, indoor volleyball and track. While she did well when playing indoors however, it was evident that her skills were above average. Based on her bio, she played an outside blocker as well as a middle volleyball player during her senior year at high school. Gatorade Circle of Champions named her as the National Player 1999. The year 2000 was the time she won her the Orange County Athlete of the year award for volleyball. Even though Ross Klineman and Ross have been doing their thing from 2017 onward, the former was already a big-time athlete on the beach even before the pair formed. In actual Ross has won a number of significant tournaments during her time with two partners. One of them is a volleyball legend. Jennifer Kessy was her partner during six years between 2007 and 2013. She also worked with Klineman as well as herself. Alongside Kessy Ross was a force in the world circuit, winning an international title in 2009. The 2012 Olympic Games, they won a gold medal. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Jennings, the legend team that was the winners of the 2012 Olympics in London, took them out to win the gold. The fate of the matter was that Ross turned out to be Walsh Jennings' new partner after May-Treanor's retirement. Both went on to win the bronze beach volleyball trophy in the Rio Olympics 2016 with Walsh Jennings. Ross was a college athlete for USC Trojans before the start of her professional career. She was a player in high school, and even years prior to hitting the beach as a professional. Her time at USC was quite impressive. In 2000, she was named Pac-10 Freshman as well as NCAA Freshman of the Year. She was also named an All-American. The Trojans were also able to make it to the Final Four with her help. The second season of her career she was devastated by a personal tragedy, but was able to be named an All-American. Over her final two years within the team, she guided the Trojans towards the top of the mountain winning three consecutive championships at the national level. In 2003-2004, Ross was named as the most successful female volleyball player at a collegiate level in the United States by The Honda Sports Award. Ross was an international relations student at USC. Margie Ross didn't get to witness Ross reach beach volleyball's highest stage. Margie, Ross's mother, passed away in 2001 when Ross was still an USC sophomore. The cancer was diagnosed as breast. In the aftermath, Ross continues to be close to her parent who died. Margie remains a source of inspiration, both off and on of the beach.