April Ross and Alix Klineman ready to bring the A-team to Tokyo 2021
By Mark Carman
April Ross has sights set on her first ever gold medal as she heads to the Tokyo 2021 Olympics with her third different partner, Alix Klineman.
Earlier this week, FanSided talked to Mr. T, the star of Rocky III and the popular sitcom The A-Team. Next up is two-time Olympic medalist April Ross, who has a new partner Alix Klineman. After a social media search looking for a team name, the duo decided on…the A-Team. What a coincidence!
“I mean that is fate, I love it,” April Ross told FanSided. “We have tank tops that say A-Team on them and they have an A-team quote from the TV show on the back. We obviously didn’t call ourselves the A-Team because of the A-Team, but we loved the association. They’re gnarly bad ass guys.”
Ross is the second American woman along with Holly McPeak to qualify for the Olympics with three different partners. Ross won silver at the 2012 Olympics with Jennifer Kessy and a bronze with Kerri Walsh Jennings in 2016. McPeak was a bronze medal winner in 2004.
“I’ve always said one of my best abilities is to pick great partners and thats a huge reason why I’ve been able to go to three with three different people,” Ross said.
True, and Ross is being humble. Her success is more a result of talent and work ethic versus being a good general manager.
April Ross is carving out her own legacy in the sport
“Misty (May-Treanor) and Kerri (Walsh-Jennings) set the bar with their crazy accomplishments, probably impossible to catch,” Ross said. “I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to match what they did, but to be able to qualify for three different Olympics three different partners, have two medals and a chance at a third, thats my own different accomplishment and I’m very proud of.”
As she should be. Meanwhile, Ross and Klineman have a great chance for gold, looked at by many as the favorites after qualifying early for Tokyo. The duo has been rolling through the competition. Confidence is high.
“To qualify so early is a big deal and I definitely didn’t expect to do that,” Ross said. “At every point our partnership has surpassed my expectations especially going into the first event we ever played together with her having no points and winning the whole thing.”
Klineman deserves a huge amount of the credit. Initially, she had to prove to Ross during a 3-day tryout that she was ready to make the transition from indoor to beach, giving up a bunch of money for a shot at a gold medal.
“She (Klineman) has gotten so good and I am just so thankful I chose her as a partner when she was brand new,” Ross said. “She was searching for a partner and now I feel like she’s one of the best players in the world.”
Ross will turn 39 years old in late June, while Klineman is 31. While Ross plans to go back to school and eventually become a high school guidance counselor as well as coach, she also has hopes for… perhaps one more Olympic run.
“I have that conversation with myself and others almost daily,” Ross said. “I can’t ever imagine prematurely retiring, voluntarily retiring, it’s such an amazing thing to be a part of. We will see where it goes, I want to get more involved in the next generation so if I can juggle everything and still make a run at Paris I might do it.”
Sounds like the A-Team is going to be around for awhile. After all, the sitcom did last four years.
April Ross is working with Gatorade announcing their National Volleyball Player of the Year Award to Nebraska commit Ally Batenhorst of Seven Lakes High School (Katy, Texas). Alix Klineman was also a Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2006.