April Ross facts for kids

Quick facts for kids April Ross
Ross at the 2017 AVP Austin Open
Personal information
Full name	April Elizabeth Ross
Nickname	Ross The Boss
Born	(1982-06-20) June 20, 1982 (age 43) Costa Mesa, California, U.S.
Hometown	Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb)
College(s)	USC
Beach volleyball information
Current teammate
Years Teammate 2022 Emily Capers
Previous teammates
Years Teammate 2018–2021, 2024 2017 2013–2017 2007–2013 2006 2006 2006 Alix Klineman Lauren Fendrick Kerri Walsh Jennings Jennifer Kessy Keao Burdine Barbra Fontana Nancy Mason
Medal record Women's beach volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Beach Silver 2012 London Beach Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Beach World Championships Gold 2009 Stavanger Beach Silver 2017 Vienna Beach Silver 2019 Hamburg Beach World Tour Finals Bronze 2021 Cagliari Beach World Tour Gold 2007 Stavanger Beach Gold 2008 Phuket Beach Gold 2008 Sanya Beach Gold 2009 Marseille Beach Gold 2009 Phuket Beach Gold 2010 Shanghai Beach Gold 2010 Rome Beach Gold 2011 Stavanger Beach Gold 2012 Bangsaen Beach Gold 2013 São Paulo Beach Gold 2013 Xiamen Beach Gold 2014 Fuzhou Beach Gold 2014 Moscow Beach Gold 2014 Stavanger Beach Gold 2014 Long Beach Beach Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Beach Gold 2016 Fuzhou Beach Gold 2016 Cincinnati Beach Gold 2016 Moscow Beach Gold 2016 Long Beach Beach Gold 2018 The Hague Beach Gold 2019 Yangzhou Beach Gold 2019 Itapema Beach Gold 2019 Gstaad Beach Gold 2021 Doha Beach Silver 2007 St. Petersburg Beach Silver 2008 Dubai Beach Silver 2009 Brasil Beach Silver 2009 Seoul Beach Silver 2009 PAF Beach Silver 2009 Sanya Beach Silver 2010 Moscow Beach Silver 2011 Shanghai Beach Silver 2011 Stare Jabłonki Beach Silver 2011 Phuket Beach Silver 2013 Rome Beach Silver 2015 Long Beach Beach Silver 2016 Vitória Beach Silver 2016 Gstaad Beach Silver 2019 Tokyo Beach Bronze 2008 Stavanger Beach Bronze 2009 Klagenfurt Beach Bronze 2009 Barcelona Beach Bronze 2010 Seoul Beach Bronze 2010 Sanya Beach Bronze 2011 Brasília Beach Bronze 2011 Myslowice Beach Bronze 2011 Beijing Beach Bronze 2012 Rome Beach Bronze 2015 Fuzhou Beach Bronze 2016 Xiamen Beach Bronze 2021 Cancún Beach Bronze 2021 Cancún Beach

April Elizabeth Ross (born June 20, 1982) is a famous American beach volleyball player. She has won three Olympic medals! She earned a silver medal in 2012, a bronze medal in 2016, and a gold medal in 2020.

April Ross and her partner Jennifer Kessy also became World Champions in 2009. She is known as one of the best beach volleyball players in the world.

Early Life and High School Volleyball

April Ross grew up in Newport Beach, California. She went to Newport Harbor High School. There, she played both volleyball and basketball.

April was an amazing indoor volleyball player in high school. She was even named the best recruit in the country for her age group. She won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award as a senior. She also won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Player of the Year award twice.

In her last year of high school, she made 624 kills and 526 digs. She played club volleyball for five years with the Orange County Volleyball Club. She also played for the U.S. Junior National Team. April is 6 feet, 1 inch tall.

April's Personal Life

April is the daughter of Glen and Margie Ross. She has a sister named Amy Ross Marshall. In 2010, she married fellow beach volleyball player Bradley Keenan. They later divorced in 2018.

April met Josh Riley in 2017. They got engaged in February 2022. Their son was born on October 25, 2023. On September 14, 2024, April married Josh Riley. Their son was the ring bearer at the wedding.

College Volleyball Career

April Ross played indoor volleyball when she was in college. She attended the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. In her first year, she was named the best freshman player in her conference. She also received national honors.

She helped the USC team reach the NCAA Final Four. In her second year, she continued to play well. She was ranked high in kills, points, and digs in her conference.

Winning NCAA Championships

In her last two years at USC, April helped her team win two NCAA National Titles in a row. In 2002, she was named a First Team All-American. She had 15 kills and 14 digs in the championship win against Stanford.

In 2003, she was again a First Team All-American. She helped USC have a perfect season, winning every game. They beat Florida in the NCAA championship match. April had 14 kills and 19 digs in that winning game.

She finished her college career as one of USC's top players ever. She ranked high in many statistics. In 2004, she won the Honda Sports Award. This award goes to the best female college volleyball player in the nation.

Professional Beach Volleyball Career

Ross with Kerri Walsh Jennings and John Kerry

April Ross started her professional beach volleyball career. In 2008, she teamed up with Jennifer Kessy. They had great success on the Swatch FIVB World Tour 2008. They finished third in one event and first in another. April was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Phuket Thailand Open.

In 2008, Ross and Kessy beat the top team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in a tournament. On July 4, 2009, Kessy and Ross won the FIVB World Championships. They beat a strong Brazilian team in Norway. By April 2012, April Ross had won many first-place titles. She had also earned a lot of prize money.

Partnering with Alix Klineman

Ross and Alix Klineman (right) in 2019

At the end of 2017, April Ross started playing with Alix Klineman. They quickly became a very strong team. In January 2018, they won their first tournament together. This was the FIVB Dela Beach Open.

In 2018, Klineman and Ross won four tournaments on the 2018 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. These included the Austin Open and the famous Manhattan Beach Open. They also won another FIVB tournament in China. They were named the AVP Team of the Year in November 2018.

Their success continued in 2019. They won more AVP and FIVB events. They also won a silver medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships. In 2020, they won several AVP cups. In August 2021, after winning Olympic gold, they won the AVP Manhattan Beach Open again. They plan to play together again in 2024.

Olympic Career Highlights

April Ross has had an amazing Olympic career, winning three different medals.

2012 London Olympics: Silver Medal

In the 2012 London Olympics, April Ross and her partner Jennifer Kessy won the Silver Medal. They beat a top Brazilian team in the semi-finals. In the final match, they played against their teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Ross and Kessy lost that match, earning the silver medal.

2016 Rio Olympics: Bronze Medal

On June 26, 2013, April Ross teamed up with Kerri Walsh Jennings. They trained together for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Ross played as a defender, while Walsh Jennings was the blocker.

In the semi-finals, Ross and Walsh Jennings lost to a Brazilian team. However, they went on to win the Bronze Medal match. They beat another strong Brazilian team. This was April's second Olympic medal.

2020 Tokyo Olympics: Gold Medal

On August 6, 2021, April Ross and Alix Klineman won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. They won their final match against Australia. They did not lose a single match in the entire tournament. They only lost one set out of seven matches!

This victory was special for April Ross. It meant she had won all three types of Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze. This is a rare achievement for an athlete.

Awards

College Awards

• Honda Sports Award (2004)

FIVB Awards

• FIVB Top Rookie: 2007
• FIVB Best Offensive Player (1): 2009
• FIVB Best Hitter: 2009, 2011
• FIVB Best Server: 2011, 2012, 2015–2017

AVP Awards

• AVP Rookie of the Year: 2006
• AVP Most Improved Player: 2007
• AVP Best Server: 2013–2017
• AVP Best Offensive Player: 2013, 2017
• AVP Most Valuable Player: 2013–2017
• AVP Team of the Year: 2012 (with Jennifer Kessy), 2014, 2016 (with Kerri Walsh Jennings), 2019 (with Alix Klineman).

Clubs

• Leonas de Ponce (2004–2006)
• Orange County Volleyball Club for 5 Years

See also

In Spanish: April Ross para niños