News

April Ross, Alix Klineman win gold at FIVB Dela Beach Open

Jan 02 News

The beach-volleyball world collectively sat up and took notice this week as Alix Klinemanand April Ross won gold at the FIVB four-star event in Dela Beach in the Netherlands. Sunday they took out fellow qualifiers and defending champions Maria Antonelli and Carolina Salgado 21-12, 21-15 to put the exclamation point on their first event together.

Klineman and Ross won 10 consecutive matches to win the four-star event, two in country quota, two in qualifying, two in pool play, and four in the playoffs. In their 10 matches they dropped only one set, and that was to fellow Americans Brittany Hochevar and Emily Day in the country-quota match (15-21, 21-18, 15-8).

Not only that, they beat three tough Brazilian teams (Maria Antonelli and Carolina Salgado Solberg, Fernanda Alves and Barbara Seixas, and Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda Lisboa), known for their southern-hemisphere early season prowess.

Klineman, Ross, and coach Jennifer Kessy discussed the win in an interview with Nils Koepke:

In the-bronze medal match, Yulia Abalakina and Ksenia Dabizha of Russia defeated Ieva Dumbauskaite and Monika Povilaityte of Lithuania 19-21, 21-16, 15-9. The bronze medal is the Russians’ best finish, surpassing their fourth place 2017 finish in Nantong, China.

Men’s Dela Beach medalists: Martins Plavins/Edgars Tocs (Latvia), Piotr Kantor/Bartosz Losiak (Poland), Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen (Netherlands)/FIVB photo

In the men’s draw, Martins Plavins and Edgars Tocs of Latvia earned gold by defeating Piotr Kantor and Bartosz Losiak of Poland 21-14, 21-12. Bronze went to Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen of the Netherlands, who defeated countrymen Jasper Bouter and Christiaan Varenhorst 21-18, 21-14.

The tournament is an auspicious beginning for Plavins and Tocs in their first event together. The win is the first for Tocs, who played with Rihard Finsters from 2014-2017. The gold medal is Plavins’ third after a 2012 win in Stare Jablonski with Janis Smedins and 2014 in Anapa, Russia with Aleksandrs Solovejs. Plavins also won bronze in the 2012 London Olympics with Janis Smedins.

Full results for both men’s and women’s draws can be found at BVBinfo.com. The next FIVB event is a one-star dual gender event in Shepparton, Australia, February 1-4.
Olympic Beach Volleyball Bronze Medalist April Ross Is Already Focused on the 2020 Olympics: ‘My Goal Now Is Tokyo’

Aug 02 News

At the 2012 Olympics, April Ross faced off against Kerri Walsh Jennings in the gold medal beach volleyball match in London. Ross ended up taking silver, and immediately found a new partner in three-time gold medalist Walsh Jennings.

Poised and planning to win gold last week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, their efforts were thwarted by a powerful Brazilian duo who beat them in the semi-finals (Walsh Jenning’s first Olympic defeat in the sport), leaving them to battle it out with another Brazilian team for a bronze medal.

“Coming into the Olympics, I just pictured fighting for gold and that was our goal,” Ross, 34, tells Us Weekly. “I can’t believe how hard it was to mentally and emotionally to come back from that loss and how hard we had to fight in the match to win the bronze. We’re just so grateful for our bronze medal. It honestly, it’s a huge honor to bring that home to America.”

Ross — who headed back to the U.S. before the closing ceremony to prepare for the rest of the sport’s season — is already thinking about getting that elusive gold in Tokyo in 2020.

“My goal now is Tokyo for sure,” the Aussie-sponsored athlete, who favors the 3 Minute Miracle Moist product, explains. “It feels so far away but it just flies by.”

As for her partner, five-time Olympian Walsh Jennings, her future is still up in the air.

“I don’t know what Kerri is going to do yet; she’s going to take time and figure it out and I’ll wait until she does that,” Ross says. “Her level of play is so high right now, so there’s been no fall off. I think she should keep playing.”

Walsh Jennings is, however, keeping her options open.

“I know I can,” she told Us. “I don’t know if I will.”
April Ross: I’m ‘Grateful’ for My Bronze Medal

Aug 02 News

For April Ross, the 2016 Rio Olympics have had both highs and lows.

The lowest point? When she and partner Kerri Walsh Jennings suffered a disappointing loss in the semifinal round, meaning that they wouldn’t win the gold or the silver medal.

The high point? Capturing the bronze in a hard-fought match against Brazil’s top-seeded Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes.

Sitting with PEOPLE in a lounge at the P&G Family Home in Rio, Ross reflected on her Olympic journey.

So what was the feeling when you took bronze?
We were so grateful to get on that podium. We were so devastated after losing in the semis, so it was a huge effort to turn it around and come back ready to play against the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. They were also upset and wanted that medal really badly.

The bronze medal match was a really tough one.
Oh, it definitely was! We had to fight for it. We lost the first game, and then we were behind in the second, I think 12-9. But there was too much on the line, and we were there to win. No matter what, we could make a comeback. We just needed to stick together, believe in ourselves, and believe in each other. We had to fight for every point.

You were playing Brazilians in Brazil. You were the away team. Did the crowd bother you?
It really didn’t. I enjoy that kind of atmosphere. It gives me a lot of energy. But I also had to get in the zone and not pay attention to it. I was there to win. At the end, I was totally focused on Kerri and winning.

But let me say this: my family was at every single match, decked out in U.S.A. colors, and the crowd was great to them. They had a great time and no negative experience at all. And when the matches were over, the Brazilian fans came up to meet us. Everyone was really nice. They were cheering for their team as hard as they could. I can’t blame them at all for that! I loved them.

Last Olympics, you were playing against Kerri. She won the gold and you won the silver. This time, you were on her team. Was that strange?
It didn’t matter that she was my competitor before at all. We were a new team. It was a different dynamic this time; I felt like a completely different player than I did in London. But Kerri and I got really close, and I think it worked well for us. It was a whole new journey and a whole new story.

So a non-volleyball related question: you’re a new spokesperson for Aussie hair products. Why them?
I’ve always had issues with my hair. It’s curly and frizzy and crazy. And when I started playing beach volleyball, the sand and sun and wind just made my hair crazy. So I chose a product that worked for me and smelled good! That made my decision to work with them really easy.”
RAPIDFORCE Inks Endorsement Deal with April Ross & Phil Dalhausser

Feb 19 News

RAPIDFORCE continues to build its roster of brand ambassadors with the addition of two of the best beach volleyball players in the United States.

New York, New York (PRWEB) February 18, 2015

RAPIDFORCE, creator of the world’s first and only pre-cut physio hybrid shapes, has announced the addition of two key members to the RAPIDFORCE Elite Team of brand ambassadors in February. 4-Time FIVB World Tour Champion and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Dalhausser and 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist April Ross have signed on as RAPIDFORCE brand ambassadors. These elite athletes join tennis star John Isner as the first official RAPIDFORCE Elite Team members in professional sports.

Phil Dalhausser and his partner Sean Rosenthal were recently named the 2014 Volleyball Team of the Year by USA Volleyball after a stellar season on the sand. Dalhausser helped the duo bring home 3 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze on the FIVB World Tour finishing the year ranked 2nd in the world overall. “We’re always working out and we play tournaments almost year-round,” said Dalhausser. “From practice to the big stage, the RAPIDFORCE physio hybrid shapes stay in place and give me the comfort of knowing I have extra support where I need it most.” Dalhausser and Rosenthal are currently the top ranked men’s beach volleyball team in the United States.

World Champion April Ross and partner Jennifer Kessy helped the U.S. finish 1-2 atop the podium at the 2012 Summer Olympics following an epic battle with U.S. teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings in the final match. In 2014, Ross joined forces with Walsh-Jennings to create another powerhouse duo with a real opportunity to bring home Gold at next year’s Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After experimenting with the products, Ross commented, “I am super impressed with the premium quality of the RAPIDFORCE physio hybrid shapes. Kerri and I have a big season ahead of us and I’m excited RAPIDFORCE will be joining me on our journey.” Ross and Walsh-Jennings are the #1 ranked U.S. women’s beach volleyball team heading into the 2015 season.

RAPIDFORCE has focused its initial marketing efforts specifically on impacting the volleyball and tennis markets. “These athletes must perform at peak levels on tournament weekends and we know they can’t afford to miss weeks of training,” said RAPIDFORCE VP of Branding and Marketing Jenny Smith-Skwierawski. “We are ecstatic that Phil and April have benefitted from our products and look forward to letting them tell our brand story as RAPIDFORCE Elite Team members.”

About RAPIDFORCE

RAPIDFORCE physio hybrid shapes are innovative new products dedicated to providing simple solutions for muscle support and pain management. Based on the science of physiology and movement, RAPIDFORCE physio hybrid shapes serve as an external indestructible ligament, providing unprecedented support in a dynamic and unobtrusive way. The shapes provide reinforcement and support to overused muscles, painful areas or specific injuries while also allowing for great flexibility. Used by athletes of all levels and individuals of all ages, RAPIDFORCE physio hybrid shapes are easy to apply, providing the user with unending benefits including muscle support, pain relief, increased blood flow and improved range of motion. The seven RAPIDFORCE shapes can be ordered through the website: http://www.rapidforce-phs.com.

About CelebExperts

CelebExperts was created by industry veteran Evan Morgenstein who has a diverse background in talent representation, brand activation, sponsorship procurement, celebrity acquisition, licensing, and other areas of expertise revolving around the utilization of and achieving the greatest impact from a celebrity. To inquire about a possible team or league sponsorship, athlete endorsements or marketing opportunities with RAPIDFORCE contact consulting(at)celebexperts(dot)com, or to speak directly to a corporate consultant please call (919)459-5426.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/rapidforce/brandambassadors/prweb12521602.htm

Read more: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2015/02/18/rapidforce-inks-endorsement-deal-beach-volleyball-stars-phil-dalhausser-and-april-ross#ixzz3S9MYP3tk
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Read more at http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2015/02/18/rapidforce-inks-endorsement-deal-beach-volleyball-stars-phil-dalhausser-and-april-ross#DRy52IM2lmFkpxcU.99
April Ross, Kerri Walsh Jennings interview on Fox 11 Overtime

Nov 06 News

Los Angeles, CA –Beach volleyball superstars Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross stopped by FOX 11 Overtime Sunday to talk with Liz Habib about their first year together as a team and their record setting start.

Jennings and Ross paired up after Jenning’s partner Misty May Treanor, retired from beach volleyball after the pair won their third Olympic gold medal in London.

They spoke about how Kerri asked April to team up with her for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio while they were accepting their medals in London in 2012.

April followed through on the invite and the duo started off strong. In fact, they won all 7 AVP Beach Volleyball tournaments in 2014.

Kerri spoke about the challenge she’s had switching sides so she can compete with April. April talked about what it’s like to team up with the best beach volleyball player in the world, and their pursuit of gold in Brazil.

Also, watch their interview about and find out what happened when one of them had a wardrobe malfunction in those skimpy bikinis they wear during competition!

Click here to watch the full interview
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)

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News

April Ross, Alix Klineman win gold at FIVB Dela Beach Open

Olympic Beach Volleyball Bronze Medalist April Ross Is Already Focused on the 2020 Olympics: ‘My Goal Now Is Tokyo’

April Ross: I’m ‘Grateful’ for My Bronze Medal

RAPIDFORCE Inks Endorsement Deal with April Ross & Phil Dalhausser

April Ross, Kerri Walsh Jennings interview on Fox 11 Overtime

April Ross and Kerri Walsh on SportsCenter

Kerri Walsh Jennings And April Ross Reflect On First Season Together

Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross complete perfect AVP

Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross make history in Manhattan Beach

Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross make WSOBV final