April Ross

Beach volleyball player April Ross began to exert her laser focus on her sport of choice while she was growing up in Newport Beach, California. In addition to lettering in track, Ross played on her school's volleyball team. She excelled as an athlete, winning the Gatorade National Player of the Year award during her senior year. She also played on the Orange County Volleyball Club for five years and on the U.S. Junior National Team before advancing to the University of Southern California where her efforts on the school's team made her National Freshman of the Year. She helped USC to back-to-back NCAA titles and was later named a First Team All-American in 2002, eventually finishing her career among USC's all-time career record-holders, ranking in the top 6 in eight statistical categories. In 2008, Ross and her partner Jennifer Kessy finished in third place at the ConocoPhillips Grand Slam Stavanger, second place at the Dubai Open, and first place at the Phuket Thailand Open-where she was named the Most Outstanding Player. In 2012, she and Kessy won the silver at the London Olympic games. Ross then teamed up with a new partner, Kerri Walsh, in preparation for the 2016 Olympics.