Post by roofed! on May 13, 2007 12:00:41 GMT -5
From AVP:
[ftp]http://web.avp.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070513&contentid=4302[/ftp]
May 13, 2007
Boss and Ross catching on
USC duo represents the future of beach volleyball
By Mike Schwartz / Special to AVP.com
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When April Ross went on her recruiting trip to USC, then-senior Jennifer Boss was there to show the future four-time All-American and two-time national champion around.
Although the duo never played together in college, the former Trojans reunited on the AVP Tour when Ross' partner got hurt and Boss' was playing indoor volleyball.
After making it to the finals at the season's first AVP event in Miami and taking third at Huntington Beach, the Boss-Ross team decided to stick together.
"We play really well together," Ross said. "We think the future of the sport is two big players with ball control, and I feel like, if you get a second and a third (place finish), that's a good indicator that you're a good team staying together."
With a pair of seventh places as well, one of which the team received at this weekend's Glendale Open, Boss and Ross plan to stay together for good, which they hope leads to a run at the 2008 Olympics.
Ross (6-foot-1) and Boss (6-foot) feel that much of their success is related to their height, as Boss said having a pair of tall players is the trend in international competition.
"We're both good at ball control, so passing and setting we can do, and being tall and strong we can hit the ball or shoot the ball," Ross said. "If you're a shorter player, it's hard to have that variety on your offense, so our strategy is side out every single time, and then serve tough. We both have good serves and grab a lot of points."
Said coach Eduardo Arjinho: "Their games really complement each other. They're going to be great."
In Glendale, the No. 6-seeded Ross and Boss lost to No. 2-seeded Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, 17-21, 22-20, 15-9, the same duo that beat them in the championship match at the Miami Open. Ross and Boss needed just one point for victory, up 20-19 in the second set but failed to put the match away, leaving them with the seventh-place finish.
"We handed them that second game," Boss said. "We need to finish that game out. There's no reason we should be going to three sets with them. We just need to cut our errors down."
Boss and Ross did beat Jenny Pavley and Sarah Straton earlier in the day, 21-13, 21-18.
Arjinho said the team now needs to work on setting better as it looks to improve on this seventh-place finish. Just four weekends into their partnership, Ross and Boss are still in the stages of feeling each other out.
"We're getting to know each other better," Boss said. "Our defense has gotten a lot better and our blocking. We're getting better every time and learning a lot."
Ross and Boss already have the physical tools for success and are quickly getting acclimated to each other's game. Their rhyming last names also seem to be catching on with fans, some of whom lined up after their last match for autographs and pictures.
"Fans seem to like it, they like to say it," Ross said. "I think it's catchy, so we like it."
And then there's always the Trojans pedigree.
"Of course it's better than if she went to UCLA, so we think it's great," Boss said. "We have that common bond."
[ftp]http://web.avp.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070513&contentid=4302[/ftp]
May 13, 2007
Boss and Ross catching on
USC duo represents the future of beach volleyball
By Mike Schwartz / Special to AVP.com
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When April Ross went on her recruiting trip to USC, then-senior Jennifer Boss was there to show the future four-time All-American and two-time national champion around.
Although the duo never played together in college, the former Trojans reunited on the AVP Tour when Ross' partner got hurt and Boss' was playing indoor volleyball.
After making it to the finals at the season's first AVP event in Miami and taking third at Huntington Beach, the Boss-Ross team decided to stick together.
"We play really well together," Ross said. "We think the future of the sport is two big players with ball control, and I feel like, if you get a second and a third (place finish), that's a good indicator that you're a good team staying together."
With a pair of seventh places as well, one of which the team received at this weekend's Glendale Open, Boss and Ross plan to stay together for good, which they hope leads to a run at the 2008 Olympics.
Ross (6-foot-1) and Boss (6-foot) feel that much of their success is related to their height, as Boss said having a pair of tall players is the trend in international competition.
"We're both good at ball control, so passing and setting we can do, and being tall and strong we can hit the ball or shoot the ball," Ross said. "If you're a shorter player, it's hard to have that variety on your offense, so our strategy is side out every single time, and then serve tough. We both have good serves and grab a lot of points."
Said coach Eduardo Arjinho: "Their games really complement each other. They're going to be great."
In Glendale, the No. 6-seeded Ross and Boss lost to No. 2-seeded Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, 17-21, 22-20, 15-9, the same duo that beat them in the championship match at the Miami Open. Ross and Boss needed just one point for victory, up 20-19 in the second set but failed to put the match away, leaving them with the seventh-place finish.
"We handed them that second game," Boss said. "We need to finish that game out. There's no reason we should be going to three sets with them. We just need to cut our errors down."
Boss and Ross did beat Jenny Pavley and Sarah Straton earlier in the day, 21-13, 21-18.
Arjinho said the team now needs to work on setting better as it looks to improve on this seventh-place finish. Just four weekends into their partnership, Ross and Boss are still in the stages of feeling each other out.
"We're getting to know each other better," Boss said. "Our defense has gotten a lot better and our blocking. We're getting better every time and learning a lot."
Ross and Boss already have the physical tools for success and are quickly getting acclimated to each other's game. Their rhyming last names also seem to be catching on with fans, some of whom lined up after their last match for autographs and pictures.
"Fans seem to like it, they like to say it," Ross said. "I think it's catchy, so we like it."
And then there's always the Trojans pedigree.
"Of course it's better than if she went to UCLA, so we think it's great," Boss said. "We have that common bond."
