Summer Ross facts for kids
Ross at the 2019 World Championships
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 20, 1992 Carlsbad, California |
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| Residence | Manhattan Beach, California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Beach volleyball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Left side/blocker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Sara Hughes (2018–2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former partner(s) |
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| Coached by | José Loiola (2018–) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on August 25, 2018. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summer Ross (born December 20, 1992) is an American beach volleyball player. She made history in 2010 by becoming the only player to win both the Under-19 and Under-21 World Championships in the same year. This amazing achievement led to her being named the 2010 USA Volleyball Beach Female Athlete of the Year. Since 2018, she has been playing with her partner Sara Hughes.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Beach Volleyball Career
Summer Ross was born in Carlsbad, California. Her parents are Tony and Kathy. Her older brother, Chase, played volleyball at Pepperdine University.
Summer started training with coaches from the USA Volleyball (USAV) Beach Program in 2008. She quickly showed her talent. In 2008, she placed ninth at the Under-21 World Championships. The next year, she finished fifth at both the Under-19 and Under-21 World Championships.
Her biggest success came in 2010. First, Summer and her teammate Jane Croson won the Under-19 World Championships in August. Just one month later, Summer teamed up with Tara Roenicke. They won the Under-21 World Championships. They beat a strong Italian team in a close three-set match. At only 17 years old, Summer became the first beach volleyball player ever to win both age-group World Championships in the same year!
Because of these wins, Summer was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd. She was also named USAV's Beach Female Athlete of the Year. Two years later, she also placed fourth at the Under-21 World Championships with Sara Hughes.
Summer also played indoor volleyball for her high school, Carlsbad High School. She was a very good student too, graduating as the top student (valedictorian) from Carlsbad Seaside Academy in 2011.
College Volleyball Journey
Summer Ross was considered one of the best high school players for indoor volleyball. In 2011, she played as a right-side hitter for the Washington Huskies. She started in all 32 of their games and was a leader in service aces.
After her first year, beach volleyball became an official sport for women in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Many colleges started having beach volleyball teams. Summer decided to transfer to Pepperdine University in 2012. She wanted to play NCAA beach volleyball, as Washington did not have a team then.
At Pepperdine, she teamed up with Caitlin Racich. They led their team to win the first-ever team and pairs National Championships. Summer was named an All-American for college beach volleyball. Later that year, Summer and her partner Emily Day won the 2012 World University Championships in Brazil.
After just one year at Pepperdine, Summer decided to leave college in 2013. She wanted to focus on playing beach volleyball professionally.
Professional Beach Volleyball Career
Summer Ross started playing professionally in 2013. She has had several partners throughout her career.
Partnering with Emily Day (2013–2014)
In 2013, Summer teamed up with Emily Day. They quickly found success. They reached their first World Tour podium (meaning they finished in the top three) at the Phuket Open. They were runners-up, earning a silver medal.
On the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour in the USA, Summer and Emily won their first AVP title at the Cincinnati Open. This was a big win for Summer! They also reached the finals in two other AVP tournaments that year.
In 2014, Summer and Emily continued to play well. They finished fifth at a big tournament in Stavanger. They also had strong finishes at other major events. On the AVP tour, they finished second at the Atlantic City Open and third in three other tournaments.
Partnering with Jennifer Fopma and Lane Carico (2015–2016)
In 2015, Summer changed partners. She first played with Jennifer Fopma and then with Lane Carico. With Lane Carico, she finished fifth at two international tournaments. On the AVP tour, they finished second at the Seattle Open and third at the Manhattan Beach and Chicago Opens.
In 2016, Summer and Lane Carico won the Seattle Open on the AVP tour. They also had several top-ten finishes on the World Tour, including a fifth-place finish at the Fuzhou Open.
Partnering with Brooke Sweat (2017)
At the end of 2016, Summer started playing with Brooke Sweat. In 2017, they won the Seattle Open on the AVP tour. They also finished second at the New York City Open and the Chicago Championships.
On the World Tour, they earned a silver medal at the Moscow Open. They also had a strong fourth-place finish at the Fort Lauderdale Major. At the 2017 World Championships, they reached the quarterfinals, finishing fifth overall.
Partnering with Sara Hughes (2018–Present)
In March 2018, Summer and Brooke Sweat won a bronze medal at the Fort Lauderdale Major. Soon after, Summer teamed up with Sara Hughes. Summer and Sara had played together before in the 2012 Under-21 World Championships.
Their new partnership started with a win! They won their first tournament together at the AVP New York Open in June 2018. The next month, they won a bronze medal at the Espinho Open on the World Tour. Later in 2018, they won the AVP Hermosa Beach Open. They also won their first World Tour gold medal at the Moscow Open.
At the end of 2018, Summer Ross was named USAV's Female Beach Athlete of the Year again. This was her second time receiving this honor, with the first being in 2010.
Summer Ross's Playing Style
Summer Ross is known as a blocker in beach volleyball. This means she plays close to the net to stop the other team's attacks. She usually plays on the left side of the court.
She is especially good at hand setting, which is a skill not many women players use. This means she can set the ball for her partner using her hands, which gives her team more control. Summer is also known for her good ball control and strong attacks.
During games, Summer is often described as calm and focused. Her teammate Sara Hughes has praised Summer's aggressive play at the net. Her former partner Brooke Sweat called her a "really consistent, solid, steady player."
In 2018, Summer was one of the top players on the World Tour. She scored the most points and had the most kills (successful attacks). She also ranked third for blocks, showing how strong she is at the net.
