Author: arwpadm

April Ross and Kerri Walsh on SportsCenter

Oct 30 News

“SportsCenter” anchors Kenny Mayne and Neil Everett played volleyball on the set with Olympians April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Watch the highlights here: http://es.pn/1wroAZk
Kerri Walsh Jennings And April Ross Reflect On First Season Together

Sep 23 News

Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross have officially been playing beach volleyball together for less than a year. But in 2014, they had the best record of any women’s team.

After a 22-20, 21-17 victory over Whitney Pavlik and Heather Hughes at the AVP Championships in Huntington Beach, California, on Sunday — their seventh consecutive AVP win — Walsh Jennings and Ross kissed the overall AVP trophy. Of the nine AVP events that they have entered in the past year, they have won eight.

Also this season, the duo has won four FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournaments, more than any other team.

“To have accomplished it and done it together as a new team, chasing big dreams, it feels really good, and it’s something I definitely want to celebrate and acknowledge,” Walsh Jennings told the Torrance, California, Daily Breeze after winning in Huntington Beach.

So what has made the team of Walsh Jennings and Ross so good, so quickly? After all, it’s only been two years since Walsh Jennings won her third Olympic gold medal with Misty May-Treanor, and Ross took the silver with Jennifer Kessy at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

It was at those Games where Walsh Jennings, now 36, first broached the idea of teaming with Ross, 32, whose resume includes the first U.S. woman to be named FIVB Rookie of the Year (in 2007) and a world championship title in 2009.

Both women knew that their partners were retiring from beach volleyball shortly after the London Games, and Walsh Jennings was considering who might best fill the role of new teammate.

In Ross, she saw someone whose skill set complemented hers. But she also saw more.

“I put a premium on the intangibles, like the work ethic, the competitive drive, the desire to be great, and the grit,” said Walsh Jennings by phone from Huntington Beach. “April has so much heart when she plays. She attacks volleyball, and she loves it.

“I really wanted to play alongside someone like that because I had that with Misty for so long. I knew moving forward, we were going to be up against this amazing challenge. I really wanted someone who had that extra something where she’s going to run through fire to get what she wants, and she’s going to be my partner through thick and thin, and April has all that in spades.”

As Walsh Jennings hugged Ross after the gold-medal match in London, she said, “Now let’s go win Rio.”

For her part, Ross was stoked that the three-time gold medalist wanted to team with her. If you’re going to switch partners, why not start at the top?

Since teaming with Walsh-Jennings, Ross has come to see what the four-time Olympian brings to the volleyball court.

“Kerri brings just an unfailing energy,” Ross said. “She’s always ready to go regardless of how she feels physically, mentally or emotionally. As soon as we step on the court, she wants to win. She’s ready to go. That’s hard to do. We have a really grueling schedule, and we travel a lot. Just to be ready to go all the time, not very many players can do that. She definitely invigorates me in that way, and I think that’s a huge asset to have on our team.”

They first partnered during the summer of 2013, just a few months after Walsh Jennings gave birth to her third child, daughter Scout. But the two didn’t begin playing seriously until October 2013, when they won the final two stops on the FIVB World Tour — in Brazil and China. Then, back on home turf in California, they made it to the semifinals at the AVP Championships.

They began the 2014 season in late April on a good note — winning the first FIVB World Tour event, the Fuzhou Open, in China.

Walsh Jennings wasn’t surprised that she and Ross were successful from the start. The respect that they have for each other as players was a good foundation on which to build. They also both were ready to go from their first match together.

“There was no wishy-washy period where we were like this is what we want,” said Walsh Jennings. “It was let’s dive headfirst from the start.”

But a few days after the Fuzhou Open, they didn’t advance out of the third round at the FIVB Shanghai Grand Slam. It was the first of three times that they would finish ninth this season on the FIVB World Tour — “which makes us want to throw up,” confessed Walsh Jennings.

But both women see these losses as crucial to their long-term success.

“People are exposing our weaknesses, and that’s such a blessing ultimately, if you let it be,” said Walsh Jennings.

With the support of her husband, Casey, Walsh Jennings is shooting for her fifth Olympic Games. She has stayed with it because she loves the sport of beach volleyball and wants to see how good she can be.

“There’s a really amazing volleyball player in me, and I want to see what that looks like,” she said with a laugh.

This weekend, the duo is in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the FIVB Brazil Grand Slam — their final event of the season — where they will encounter an atmosphere similar to what they can expect at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In Sao Paulo, they will likely face the Brazilian duo of Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes. Also a new team this season, Larissa and Talita, as they are known, have won the last two FIVB Grand Slam events. With former partner Juliana Silva, Larissa won the Olympic bronze medal in London.

“It’s great that we had early success,” said Walsh Jennings. “But we want late success more than anything.”

“We want to become great,” she added. “That’s the mission for next year. Then we want to become even greater in 2016.”

(United States Olympic Committee)
Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross complete perfect AVP

Sep 22 News

Huntington Beach, Calif. – Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross completed the first perfect season in AVP Tour history, winning the AVP Championships on Sunday at Huntington Beach.

Walsh Jennings and Ross beat Whitney Pavlik and Heather Hughes 22-20, 21-17 in the final for their seventh victory in seven events. They had a 36-0 match record and won 72 of 76 sets.

”To have done it together as a new team, chasing big dreams, it feels really, really good,” said Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic champion. ”We’ve grown so much on our push toward Rio (2016 Olympics). It’s the best thing in the world to have the biggest target on your back. It means you’re the best.”

Walsh Jennings has 73 AVP titles and 124 overall beach volleyball victories.

In the men’s final, Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson won their third consecutive AVP title with a 21-16, 15-21, 15-10 victory over Tri Bourne and John Hyden.

(Fox Sports)
Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross make history in Manhattan Beach

Aug 17 News

It seems as if every time Kerri Walsh Jennings steps on a volleyball court, some sort of history is going to be made.

She did it on Sunday on the hallowed sands of Manhattan Beach. And this time, April Ross could join her.

Walsh Jennings and Ross roared back from a first-game loss for the second time on the day and held a commanding lead in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open final when the match was halted after Brooke Sweat suffered back spasms in the third game.

Officially, it was a 19-21, 21-13, 9-0 (retired) victory for Walsh Jennings and Ross over Sweat and Lauren Fendrick. Just as officially, it gave Walsh Jennings her record-setting seventh Manhattan Open victory and the first for Ross.

“It’s amazing,” Walsh Jennings said of her 121st career victory. “It just feels so good to win in general. To win the Manhattan Open is always something very, very special. This is meaningful because it’s a huge win with April. We’re both chasing dreams, we both want to do amazing things and we’re doing it together. It feels so right and I’m really proud of us.”

Ross, who hooked up with the sport’s all-time winningest player a year ago, didn’t even want to think about the possibility, even if the duo has dominated the AVP tour this year and is the leading team internationally.

“I never really let myself believe it was actually going to happen because I wanted it so bad,” Ross said. “It was kind of weird how it happened, but I think we played really well this whole tournament and we battled. Even in that final until Brooke got hurt, we battled and I think we were going to take it.

“I’m humbled by the fact that I’m out there with Kerri and I’m going to be on the pier till the world ends.”

That’s how the week started for Walsh Jennings, who saw her sixth plaque cemented into the pier on Thursday at the same time her husband, Casey Jennings, also celebrated winning the 2013 title.

To win in 2014, they would need to defeat Fendrick and Sweat in a fourth consecutive AVP final and it was hardly a sure thing when Sweat’s ace bounced between Ross and Walsh Jennings to give Fendrick and Sweat a 21-19 first-game win.

Walsh Jennings and Ross then fell behind 4-1 to start the second game before things really began to click.

They ripped off a 16-4 run and took the second game 21-13. Sweat, who had experienced back pain during last week’s final in Salt Lake City, finally had to give in after her team fell behind 9-0 in the third.

“I’ll be OK,” Sweat said. “It started last week in Salt Lake City. I thought I could play through it.
Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross make WSOBV final

Jul 26 News

Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross played like the top team in the world, sweeping a Slovakian pair Saturday to reach the World Series of Beach Volleyball final in Long Beach, Calif.

The top-seeded Walsh Jennings, the three-time Olympic champion, and Ross, the Olympic silver medalist, beat 14th seeds Natalia Dubovcova and Dominika Nestarcova 21-14, 21-16.

“One of our catchphrases is ‘outlast,’ and I think we outlasted today,” Ross said on NBC of playing twice in a span of a few hours in 80-plus degrees Saturday. “I feel like we played at a high level, and fatigue wasn’t an issue at all.”

The Americans will play a fourth-seeded Spanish pair or a fifth-seeded Brazilian pair in the final on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra. The World Series of Beach Volleyball is the biggest tournament in the U.S. this year.

“We’re out here to be the aggressors,” Walsh Jennings said. “We want to be the hunters out there. I talked to my sports psychologist, Mike Gervais, this morning. He said, ‘Kerri, do what you do best, and that’s hunt.’”

Walsh Jennings, 35, and Ross, 32, have won half of their FIVB World Tour events together since teaming up last year, following Misty May-Treanor‘s retirement and Walsh Jennings’ third pregnancy.

They’re the only women’s players to win multiple FIVB Grand Slams this season, but in Long Beach they’ve bounced back from losses in the round of 16 in their previous two tournaments.

On the men’s side, 2008 Olympic champion Phil Dalhausser and two-time Olympian Sean Rosenthal play a later semifinal Saturday for a spot in the final Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Continue Reading… (via NBCSports.com)
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross: The New Queens of the Beach

Jul 23 News

It’s a safe bet that no U.S. Olympic champion is undergoing a bigger adjustment from 2012 to 2016 than Kerri Walsh Jennings, the three-time gold medalist in beach volleyball.

Walsh Jennings’s partner on the beach, Misty May-Treanor, retired after the London Olympics, leaving her to team with April Ross. Ross won a silver medal with Jennifer Kessy in London, but beach volleyball duos are sort of like old married couples. They are at their best when they can finish each other’s sentences and read each other’s minds.

“This game is all about rhythm,” Walsh Jennings said this week from Long Beach, Calif., where she and Ross are playing in the Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball competition. “That rhythm, it isn’t there yet.”

Listening to Walsh Jennings, one might think she and Ross are floundering on the beach volleyball world tour. She says their honeymoon period is over, that they are thinking too much and are wildly inconsistent.

However, Walsh Jennings and Ross, currently ranked fourth in the world, have achieved better results in their 10 world tour tournaments together than Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor did in the 10 tournaments leading up to the 2012 Olympics. Walsh Jennings and Ross have achieved an average finish of 4.2 during their run compared with 4.1 for Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor ahead of London. Walsh Jennings and Ross also have five first-place finishes compared with just two for Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor.

Despite the titles, it’s the three ninth place finishes that get Walsh Jennings’s goat. During one stretch from 2006-08, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won 13 out of 15 tournaments, and took third place in the two they “lost.”
Interview: April Ross on Playing with Kerri Walsh Jennings

Jun 12 News

By Seth Rubinroit

During the 2012 Olympic final in London, Kerri Walsh Jennings knew she needed a new parter with Misty May-Treanor retiring.

It turns out the perfect candidate was staring at her from across the net.

Not long after Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor defeated Jen Kessy and April Ross to win their third Olympic gold medal together, Walsh Jennings decided to team with Ross, her longtime rival.

Ross and Walsh Jennings quickly developed chemistry, winning the final two FIVB Grand Slams of 2013.

Ross spoke with universalsports.com at Sports Spectacular, a charity event that raised money to combat diabetes and obesity.

Universal Sports: How has it been partnering with Kerri Walsh Jennings?

April Ross: It’s going great. We weren’t really that close before we started playing together; it was always just [talking] across the net. I didn’t know what it was going to be like personality-wise, and how we would look at competing. We found that we’re very similar because our will to win is super high. We’re very competitive and accountable for ourselves, which makes it really easy to form a new partnership when you’re not always trying to blame the other person. So it’s been, I think, as smooth as it could possibly be.

USN: What has been the biggest adjustment on the sand?

Ross: The biggest adjustment is that Kerri moved from the left side to the right side of the court. If you don’t play beach volleyball, maybe that doesn’t sound like a big deal. I think it would be equivalent of a quarterback moving to wide receiver in the pros. It’s learning a completely new position. We’re still working on that right now, and there’s been some up and downs. It takes so much courage for her to do that, and it’s just really exciting for us as a team to have this new look. That’s for sure the most challenging thing.

USN: How much time to you spend together off the court?

Ross: We are together 24/7 when we travel. We’re very focused, and we’ve gone to China three times together. Honestly, there’s not that much to do in China where we are, so we kinda just hang out in the room. We went to Brazil once and we went out and had Brazilian barbecue and went shopping. We definitely hang out more on the road because she has such a big family that she has to take care of, so she’s always doing that at home. But we spend a lot of quality time on the road.

Continue Reading… (via universalsports.com)
Self Discipline

Mar 09 april ross, beach volleyball, olympics, self-discipline, volleyball Blog, Uncategorized

“You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Pick a side.” -Jim Rohn (modified)

This topic is a passionate one for me. The first definition of self-discipline I came across said it’s an act of denying yourself. But I’ve also heard of it described as essential to freedom. Counterintuitive for sure, but I totally believe these definitions are the same. Growing and becoming better at anything, being proud of yourself, and therefore authentically confident, is only attainable through denying yourself what you know you should. If you are authentically confident in your capabilities, whether it be life, or sport, or business, I believe, in a sense, you are free. Freedom from self-criticism and self-doubt is very liberating, but it’s hard, extremely hard to earn. I’ve had varying degrees of self-discipline throughout my career, but I’m pretty sure I never even understood, truly, what self-discipline looked like or, more importantly, felt like before I began playing beach volleyball.

Playing indoor for a gazillion years (at least that’s what it felt like) DID NOT show me the need for an individual to have self-discipline. My fate was in another’s hands. I was told when to practice (even if I felt too beat up for it to be productive), what to wear (even if it wasn’t comfortable), to lift exactly the same as everyone else on my team (even if I had specific weaknesses I felt needed work), and then, weirdly enough, given total freedom to eat where ever and whatever I wanted. So, where I would have loved to have some control I was given none and in the area where I really didn’t earn or deserve my freedom I was given it overwhelmingly. My theory is that because I had all these authority figures and experts telling me what I should do, I was never really accountable for my own self-discipline. In my mind, if I was being given the freedom to eat where ever I wanted by the same people who controlled every other part of my (athletic) life, I could afford to revel in that liberty. Bring on Del Taco at 3 in the morning, Jamba Juice on top of lunch (because it’s fruit, it’s healthy!), and pints of ice cream to reward myself for studying- cut to me gaining the freshman twenty-five. And I’m not blaming anyone for this lack of self-discipline, it’s a symptom of the system, I just wish I had realized it then and seen how much better I could have been if I took it upon myself to control what I could control.

Make no mistake, I gave 150% at practice and in the weight room, I bought into the team and wanted to win, but at the same time, in the weight room there was no real drive to get as strong as I could get or do anything extra (despite my twenty-five pound weight gain), it was more like, “I’m going to do what my weight coach put on that paper and do it the best I can.” Same with practice, I went hard everyday and pushed myself and my teammates to be the best we could be, but to be honest, my motivation a lot of the time was, “let’s go hard so we can accomplish the goal of this drill and get out of here.” I never got to work on anything I felt needed work, it was always drills generalized for the team or the outside hitters as a whole. My fate just wasn’t in my hands, the only thing I could really control in the gym was my effort level, which, like I said I always kept as high as I could. Obviously this worked well, we went on to make it to three Final Fours, and win two National Championships, going undefeated during our second run, so I’m not arguing that the system should have been or should be different, just that it doesn’t foster a true sense of self-discipline. I’ve had a lot of time to think since my days of indoor and I feel a twinge of regret knowing that had I possessed more self-discipline I could have been better throughout my four years at USC and three years of playing in Puerto Rico professionally. This twinge of regret is heavily overshadowed, of course, by the success I encountered, but I still wonder…

As I mentioned, my discovery of self-discipline came after switching to beach volleyball. This was the first time in my life (athletically speaking) I was given full control of my own destiny. When I started on the beach with Keao (my former USC teammate) we were in charge of when we practiced, when, if, and how we would workout/lift, who would coach us, what tournaments we would go to, how we would get there, where we would stay, what we would eat, etc. It was an awkward time, as all growing stages are. I didn’t understand the amount of self-motivation and self-drive it took to be as self-disciplined as I needed to be in order to manufacture success. We didn’t hire a coach, our practices, therefore, were half-hearted or at best unproductive. I can’t even remember how I worked out at that point, IF I even worked out at all…. We didn’t prepare for tournaments, we just showed up, and got knocked down. Then we partied, flew home, recovered there for a day, which scrapped a practice, and tried to revamp for the next tournament where we would do it all over again. There were a few tournaments where we did okay, but I KNOW had we used more discipline in our preparation, practices, and planning we could have been MUCH more successful. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of expectations for that initial season, I didn’t take it all that seriously, and just wanted to have fun, but at the same time I’m super competitive and was upset we didn’t do better, all in all it was a HUGE learning experience. When I decided after that season I wanted to make a real go at professional beach volleyball I looked back at all the mistakes I had made that previous year and became determined not to repeat them and THAT is where my sense of true self-discipline started.

“The secret in life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” -Paulo Coelho, from one of my favorite books, The Alchemist.

From that point of enlightenment I have been cognizant about doing everything I can to help myself succeed. That meant, unfortunately, splitting up with Keao, because we were both newbies and couldn’t help each other get better like we needed, it was painful, but the right decision. For me, it meant giving up an indoor season in the winter and the paycheck that went with it to stay in California and train full time. Sacrifice is the sister of self-discipline. In that time between my first “learning” season and my second season (when I paired up with Jen Kessy) I made some life changes- I ended a relationship, I decided to stop drinking, and went on a strict healthy eating plan. I hired a strength coach and subjected myself to double days on the beach. Taking accountability for myself caused my motivation and drive to rise accordingly. This did not happen over night. I made really tough decisions and had to have really hard conversations with people to put myself in a position to succeed. I had to have really honest discussions with myself. And even harder than all that was learning to make the tiny choices day in and day out that add up over time and make ALL the difference. I think this is a huge lesson for people to learn, not just athletes, but my point is, had I not been given the responsibility of my own destiny through beach volleyball, I don’t think I would know the importance of or have the understanding of self-discipline, motivation, and drive that I have today. It has been a wonderful, though at times, painful learning curve and I know it’s not done yet, I have A LOT of learning, growing, and improving left to do. Life IS a learning process and I’m STILL working on being more disciplined- mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” -Colin Powell.

I write this for two reasons, one, so that maybe those playing indoor in college or juniors will see that if they take the “controllables” into their own hands, they can, in some cases, drastically influence their future chances of success. And two, for any aspiring beach volleyball players, so that they know it’s not a picnic out here. You have to fight, and grovel, and outwork others to have any chance of success on the beach, but more than anything you have to be accountable for yourself. It’s all up to you, no excuses, set yourself free.
2013 Season Highlights

Nov 25 2013, april ross, AVP, beach volleyball, highlights, season Blog, Uncategorized
It’s hard to know where to start when looking back over the 2013 season, there was just so….much. There was so much I have no idea how to fit it all in- that’s partly what I get for not regularly updating my blog during season…but nonetheless, now I feel I have to condense everything I want to say so that it fits under a singular topic. Therefore, I’ve decided to share with you just my favorite parts of this past season and thankfully there are enough to fill what narrowly passes for a blog 🙂

In (mostly) chronological order:
- Being the centerfold of Dig! Thanks Sherry Wong for taking my favorite photo ever!
- I got to go to a new country! After years of going to the same (for the most part, great) locations for our World Tour stops, they added a stop in Argentina this year! I thought it was a great addition and the fans made it even better. They definitely gave Cali fans a run for their money, I felt like I was at a futbol match with how loud and enthusiastic they were. The people there, in general, were so welcoming, friendly, and warm, I really hope it becomes a mainstay on our schedule.
- The epic international Ace game we had in The Hague, Netherlands (Ace is a six on six fun sand vball game we often play after tournaments)- I ripped my jeans, people got punched in the face (by other people trying to hit the ball), we had standing jousts that lasted minutes, and more sky balls than you could count. Then I did the worm and busted my chin open, don’t worry, it didn’t stop me.
- Getting to the finals in Rome! Currently my favorite tour stop, I love playing (and just being) there. The coffee, the food, the sights, it’s amazing. The arena we play in is surrounded by marble Zeus-like statues, the weather is usually great, and we can hang out at the “club house” all day and watch other teams play. It was the first WT final we got to this year and after losing in the semis in Argentina it felt great.
- Playing with Whit in World Champs. This is a hard one because it was a final goal of mine and Jen’s to win this tournament, but she was sidelined so I had to pick up someone else to play with. I had so much fun playing with Whit, I feel like we played really well together, and it was awesome finally getting to battle with her on the same side of the net (as we’ve been friends for so long, but never played in a pro tournament together). We made it to the semis and lost, I still regret that match, I don’t feel like I was mentally prepared enough and that’s my own fault. Still, it was a good finish for a team playing together for the first time AND at World Championships. The player party was just the frosting on the cake, dance circles and pogoing all night, the Polish really know how to get down (proud to say I’m 25% Polish).
- Beating the top ranked Talita and Tiana of Brazil in the finals of the World Series of Beach Volleyball held in Long Beach with Jen. Our family and friends were finally able to watch us at an International event so it felt even better to win. It was the first annual for the event so we’ll be expected to defend the title next year, can’t wait!
- Signing a partnership deal with Mizuno! And before you think I’m obligated to write this, I’m really not. I am so stoked to be apart of their transition into beach volleyball. I love how they see the future and have invested in this side of the sport. Beach volleyball is just going to continue to grow with the adoption of Sand as a NCAA sport and the quickly exploding sand club programs. They have great beach stuff so buy Mizuno to support your sport!! If you’re interested in getting involved in sand here’s some info on clinics & tryouts in Orange County: https://www.facebook.com/pages/OC-Sand-Volleyball-Club/1421570491390722o
- Going back to Berlin. We did terrible in that event, but I love that city so much it was still so fun being there. And Smart Car hosted another epic player party that involved trust falls, sliding across the dance floor slip & slide style, and dancing with life-size cardboard cut outs of Phil.
- The reemergence of the AVP!! We had seven AVP tournaments this year and they were all run professionally, with great fans, in great locations. Jen and I won the first one in Salt Lake City, UT after falling into the contender’s bracket early and fighting our way back to and through the finals. I was extremely exhausted afterwards, but it was the best kind of exhaustion. We also won in Atlantic City, NJ and split the win in St. Pete, FL after a gnarly storm forced us to cancel the final.
- Playing with Kerri. We officially teamed up in late October for the Santa Barbara Open through the rest of the season. It has been so much fun being on the same side of the net as her, and I’ve been really surprised at how similar our attitudes and playing styles are. She definitely motivates me to go harder and get better, in the best way. I’m really looking forward to preseason, it’s going to be super tough, but I think it’ll be really good for me, and us.
- Winning back to back Grand Slam titles!! The first in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the second in Xiamen, China.
  - Sao Paulo was a super tough tournament, we managed to come out first in pool, but we went to three in almost all of our matches including the semi and final. The final was one of the hardest fought matches I’ve ever played. Germany had nine match points against us and we fought off all of them- in overtime, finally managing to win that set to force a third. We were able to hold on to the momentum and win the match. It was amazing to stand on the top of that podium, listen to the National Anthem, and watch the American flag fly the highest.
  - Xiamen was also tough, we had the added element of gnarly wind to contend with there. We played pretty terrible in our match against Italy 1, losing in two to come out second in pool. If you come out first you get a bye in the first round of playoffs, going straight to ninth, since we came out second we had to play to stay alive. We drew Argentina, and they gave us everything they had. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team serve tougher than they did, and they constantly kept us on our toes doing things that we didn’t expect, like pulling on perfect sets and setting the ball over on two. Thankfully some of our USA teammates were there supporting us and I really think that made the difference (thanks Jake & Casey!). We were able to win 16-14 in the third and from there we adjusted, played better wind ball, won the rest of our matches, and took the final against Talita and Tiana for the Gold.
- The Hilton HHonors Hawaii Beach Challenge. This second annual edition was a great cap to season, this year both China and Canada were invited, we did a round robin plus semis and finals. It was super fun getting to hang out with some of the people we compete against all year and we were in Hawaii which never sucks. I can’t tell you how it ended up because it has yet to air. Men’s matches air Dec. 2 & 3, and ours will air on Dec. 14th on NBC Sports Network, so watch to find out the results!!
- It’s been a personal career goal of mine to be voted MVP of the AVP and I feel semi-shallow admitting that, but it’s the truth. So I was really honored and excited to have been named the MVP this year. I am also really thankful that Jen and I were named Team of the Year on the AVP, it is a really great honor for what was our last season together. If you want to see the rest of the awards given out, check out the AVP’s webite: http://avp.com/news-blog/1415-avp-recognizes-top-performers-as-tour-announces-2013-year-end-award-winners-2
Hope you enjoyed reading about all the great moments because I had an amazing time living them 🙂
VOLLEYBALL STARS TRYING TO ALIGN

Sep 25 Blog, News

It came as no surprise that three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and her brand-new partner, London silver medalist April Ross, sailed right through their first AVP tournament together without losing a single set. As the newest American power team laughed and hugged and sprayed champagne, it felt like a scene fans may be seeing a lot more of in the coming years.

With the win in the AVP Santa Barbara Open, Ross and Walsh Jennings officially began their journey toward the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro amid very high expectations. Over the next two and a half years, the two veteran players will work to build a partnership after competing against each other for nearly a decade.

“It’s a totally different game when we’re on the same side of the court,” Ross said. “We’re still figuring out what that is but it’s coming along pretty fast.”

Walsh Jennings and Ross decided to pair up more than a year ago, even before they faced each other in the gold-medal match in London. Knowing their partners were set to retire, it only made sense that the best two players in the country join forces to try to bring home a fourth straight gold medal.

With only five practices together before they competed last weekend, Walsh Jennings and Ross had to learn as they went. They found out that they have more similarities than differences.

“I’ve never played with anyone with as much energy as April has,” Walsh Jennings said. “It’s like looking in a mirror out there. I think we’re really similar in the way we play and the way we feel about playing. I don’t think I would have guessed that really. I’m still getting to know her.”

Whether the similar energy will work for or against them is unclear. Both their previous partners complemented their energy in a different way. Ross brought the energy in her seven-year partnership with Jen Kessy, and Walsh Jennings provided it with Misty May-Treanor.

“I feel like Jen and I were yin and yang as far as energy,” Ross said. “But I really like how Kerri and I start a match with the same energy and push through the whole time. It is awesome and it makes the game easier.”

Successful partnerships in beach volleyball can be difficult to predict because they tend to hinge on much more than just skill.

“There is an intimacy level that you need to be great,” Walsh Jennings said. “I think why we had so much success with our former partners is because we had that in spades. We took it really seriously and it’s a beautiful thing when you have a great partnership.”

Ross and Walsh Jennings both know what it’s like to build and maintain long and successful partnerships, but they say they’ll never make comparisons to the past.

“We want our own chemistry and we want to be better than we were before,” Walsh Jennings said. “Not for one second will I ever compare April and I to Misty and I. It’s just not possible. It’s not fair and it’s looking back as far as I’m concerned.”

With the best blocker in the world and the best server in the world on the same side of the net, Walsh Jennings and Ross are already a force on the domestic tour. Their real test will come with the international tour. They’ll compete in their first FIVB Grand Slam against the world’s best teams in Brazil and China starting next week.

“I’m looking forward to that making us better,” Ross said. After the Olympics I felt like the target on me and Jen got a lot bigger, and I got a little bit used to it then. It’s going to be even bigger now. So I am looking forward to that challenge.”

For now they are focused one match at a time and taking care of what they can control on their own side of the net. But the big picture — gold in Rio — is never far from their minds.

“We have a big goal and we’re in it together,” Walsh Jennings said. “I think both of us are so excited about the potential. We’re striving for one of the most prestigious things in sports. We have all the tools it’s going to take to accomplish our goal. That’s the exciting thing and also the scary thing because we know it’s in our hands.”

Continue Reading… (via espn.com)