One of the greatest players to ever grace the sand, April Ross, told her legion of fans that she would retire from competitive beach volleyball after the AVP League season.
The formal announcement came on Monday in a post on April’s social-media accounts, but the news hardly came as a surprise, since her impending exit from the sport had been referenced multiple times by announcers during the League series.
“It is with a very fulfilled and grateful heart, and also some tears, that I am announcing my retirement (after the end of this AVP League season),” Ross, 42, wrote. “Eighteen years, 16 seasons, four quads – I’m glad I can say I lived it to the fullest and that it was an absolute BLAST. At the same time, I’m in disbelief it’s (almost) over, it feels like it went by in a heartbeat.”
After a stellar career as an indoor player (her USC teams were back-to-back NCAA champions in 2002 and ‘03, going 69-1), Ross forged a legacy of success and longevity on the beach that compares favorably with all-time American greats such as Karch Kiraly, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, Kent Steffes, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser.
She owns Olympic medals of every color (each earned with different partners), a world championship and 74 titles in domestic or international tournaments, which ranks third-best worldwide among women behind Kerri and Misty. Her 41 first-place finishes on the AVP tour, which she joined in 2006, were won with six partners.
The AVP plans to hold a retirement ceremony for her on November 9 at the League Championship. But before that, fans have at least three more opportunities to see Ross compete.
April and Alix Klineman, the gold medalists in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, will play their last two matches of the League’s regular season this weekend at the spanking new 7,500-set Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, north of San Diego. Their Miami Mayhem team, at 7-5, is in a strong position to qualify as one of the four squads that will advance to the single-elimination postseason.
Ross and Klineman are an up-and-down 3-3 in the League. They took significant victories over the reigning silver medalists from the Paris Games, Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson (Palm Beach Passion) of Canada and also defeated Geena Urango and Toni Rodriguez (San Diego Smash). Returning to the sand from lengthy layoffs after giving birth,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Volleyballmag.com…