April Ross

April Ross has won more than one Olympic medal. Ross is among a few female beach volleyball players who have achieved this feat. Alix-Klineman is set to compete alongside Ross at Tokyo in order to claim her third gold medal over the coming days. But more than that, Ross hopes to win her first Olympic gold. At 39, this could be Ross' last opportunity to claim the Olympic gold. She remains optimistic that she will be able to win top awards. Ross said on NBC Boston: "If we try our best, and even if we just play well I believe we can get the gold medal." "I'm trying to also try a little luck." Ross was born in 1982 in Costa Mesa California where she lived with her parents and her sister. Ross competed in many activities while at Newport Harbor High School. She competed in basketball and track, in addition to her indoor volleyball exploits in her time as a college athlete. However, she was a standout in this sport. In her own biography her high school days, she was a volleyball player as an outside hitter (middle blocker) as well as a setter (outside blocker). The results of her efforts were acknowledged when she was named 1999 Gatorade's Circle Of Champions National players of the year. Her skills in volleyball earned her the Orange County Athlete of the Awards in the year 2000. Ross is working with Klineman from 2017, but Ross's beach game was established well before this. It's true that she has won numerous events, and one was won by an iconic volleyball player. From 2007-2013 she played alongside Jennifer Kessy who more recently played the role of Klineman's coach. Ross, Kessy's fellow teammate who was the winner of the world championship with Kessy in 2009, also was a major force on world stage. In 2012, the pair took silver in London's Olympics. Misty Maytreanor (Jennings) as well as Misty Maytreanor won gold, beating them to it. Ross Jennings took over for May-Treanor as she left the team. They won the bronze medal in beach volleyball at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Ross participated in the Trojans at USC during her college after graduating from in high school. And her run in the Trojans' ranks was an impressive one. As a freshman in 2000 she fought her way to Pac-10 as well as NCAA Freshman of the Year accolades. She also was also an All-American. Also, she was a key player for helping the Trojans to make it to the Final Four. The Trojans suffered a heartbreaking personal loss in her sophomore season and yet she went on to repeat in the ranks of an All-American. Through her two final years with the Trojans they helped win consecutive championships. Individually she had cemented herself as an all-time legend by winning the 2003-2004 Honda Sports Award as the most outstanding female college volleyball player. Ross was an international relations student at USC. Margie Ross did not get to witness Ross reach beach volleyball's highest level. Ross's mother Margie died in 2001. Ross was still in the midst of being a USC sophomore. Her breast cancer had been diagnosed. She still holds her mother close to her heart. Margie, on the beach as well as in her everyday life, continues to inspire her.