B E ACH VO L L E Y B A L L
U. S . WOMEN’ S NAT I ONA L T E AM it was like where are we in this process after you work so hard? But it helped us. We needed something to help us understand each other and work out the core of each other and I feel like we got rid of the (questions) and found the core of the partnership.” Ross, who has been playing like the best
player in the world for much of the last two seasons, stayed sharp playing with other part- ners during Walsh Jennings’ absence. She kept the faith that Walsh Jennings would be back strong in time for an Olympic run. “I was just thinking of our system and the
system we would run once Kerri was back and trying to work on my defense and still being a big presence with those other players,” Ross said. “Every time I got on the court I was thinking of how I could better us by being out there and competing. I felt like I had a lot to work on and I needed to be out there working on all that stuff. And I do think it helps.” On the same sand where the Olympic tournament will be played, Walsh Jennings and Ross went through the event undefeated to share the winner’s purse of $57,000. Ross was not about ready to get comfortable. “We still need four more tournaments and we’re not going to let off the gas but to be here
Olympians April Ross and Phil Dalhausser showed plenty of emotion in Brazil in March, both winning gold in FIVB events.
in Copacabana, to be playing on the same sand we’ll be playing on in the Olympics means a lot,” Ross said. “It was a stride for us.”
Notes • USA’s Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat
improved their Olympic qualifying hopes with a ninth-place finish in Rio to earn 360 points. They were up 14-10 in the third set on even-
tual bronze medalists Karla Boger and Britta Buthe of Germany in the elimination bracket but gave up five straight points to lose 17-15. Another point in that set would have earned them a minimum 120 more qualifying points. • Walsh Jennings and Ross lost the first set of the semifinals to Boger and Buthe by a score of 21-9 – the most lopsided set loss in the duo’s 31 events together.
40 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76