Post by roofed! on May 1, 2007 21:31:39 GMT -5
From AVP.com
[ftp]http://web.avp.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070422&contentid=11045[/ftp]
April 22, 2007
Ross' beach efforts pay off
Rookie of Year has moved up in rankings
By Colleen Murray / AVP.com
Once she had her heels dug in, April Ross had an easy decision to make this offseason. Unlike in seasons past, Ross chose to dedicate all her energy to beach volleyball and forgo playing indoor volleyball.
"It is too hard on my mind and my body. I needed a break," Ross said.
That break and her offseason training bode well for the 2006 AVP Rookie of the Year. In her first event, the 24-year-old made it to the finals with Jennifer Boss. Ross is the third-youngest woman to make it to the last game of the weekend. Ross' quick rise is a tribute to her beach commitment in the offseason, her working out the kinks and her learning from the veterans.
Ross spent her offseason training with one of the best on the beach, Nancy Mason. Mason has been in five finals and taught Ross, a University of Southern California product, the nuances of the sport that only come with time. Practices, Ross said, were more about structure. Last year, Ross and partner Keao Burdine were both fairly new to the beach. Without a coach, they didn't know what to practice or how to practice it.
"Last year, it was like, let's hit a little bit and let's pass a little bit. It didn't really translate to us getting better. And this year, we had strategy," Ross said.
With Mason, Ross learned to hit the ball in the same spot every time, for example, and the reason to practice this technique. A year ago, Ross would practice like she would practice for indoor events, but her training with Mason has taught her the beach volleyball mentality.
"I learned why you approach this way instead of that way and what the ot her team is going to think you're doing by your approach," Ross said.
Although this practice prepared Ross for the season, little could prepare her for her shock a few weeks before the season started. Mason discovered that she had an injury that would require her to sit out for a few events. Ross, left without a partner, found Jennifer Boss. Last-minute partners or not, the two have thrived. Ross has been capitalizing on all her knowledge and making it work for her and Boss.
"Everything is so much more complex than I ever thought it was. Learning to use that complexity to your advantage, that's the biggest thing," Ross said.
Boss and Ross came in Miami as an 11th seed and pulled off a string of upsets to land themselves in the final, Ross's first. In Dallas, the two jumped to the eighth seed and came off with a seventh-place finish. Both are higher than Ross ever placed last year.
In her first season, Ross and Burdine took home two ninth-place finishes, and competitors saw their potential. At the end of the season, the players voted Ross 2006 Rookie of the Year.
"It was really surprising," Ross said of the award. "There's added pressure but you'll always have that award. It's a really cool honor.
Her youth has gotten her noticed, but Ross hopes her sharp playing and smart choices keep her in the limelight and the top 10 finishes. She realizes that she has limited time to capitalize on the learning opportunities around her.
"These older women that have played for so long aren't going to be around much longer, so if I'm going to play with someone and learn from someone I have to do it now," Ross said.
[ftp]http://web.avp.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070422&contentid=11045[/ftp]
April 22, 2007
Ross' beach efforts pay off
Rookie of Year has moved up in rankings
By Colleen Murray / AVP.com
Once she had her heels dug in, April Ross had an easy decision to make this offseason. Unlike in seasons past, Ross chose to dedicate all her energy to beach volleyball and forgo playing indoor volleyball.
"It is too hard on my mind and my body. I needed a break," Ross said.
That break and her offseason training bode well for the 2006 AVP Rookie of the Year. In her first event, the 24-year-old made it to the finals with Jennifer Boss. Ross is the third-youngest woman to make it to the last game of the weekend. Ross' quick rise is a tribute to her beach commitment in the offseason, her working out the kinks and her learning from the veterans.
Ross spent her offseason training with one of the best on the beach, Nancy Mason. Mason has been in five finals and taught Ross, a University of Southern California product, the nuances of the sport that only come with time. Practices, Ross said, were more about structure. Last year, Ross and partner Keao Burdine were both fairly new to the beach. Without a coach, they didn't know what to practice or how to practice it.
"Last year, it was like, let's hit a little bit and let's pass a little bit. It didn't really translate to us getting better. And this year, we had strategy," Ross said.
With Mason, Ross learned to hit the ball in the same spot every time, for example, and the reason to practice this technique. A year ago, Ross would practice like she would practice for indoor events, but her training with Mason has taught her the beach volleyball mentality.
"I learned why you approach this way instead of that way and what the ot her team is going to think you're doing by your approach," Ross said.
Although this practice prepared Ross for the season, little could prepare her for her shock a few weeks before the season started. Mason discovered that she had an injury that would require her to sit out for a few events. Ross, left without a partner, found Jennifer Boss. Last-minute partners or not, the two have thrived. Ross has been capitalizing on all her knowledge and making it work for her and Boss.
"Everything is so much more complex than I ever thought it was. Learning to use that complexity to your advantage, that's the biggest thing," Ross said.
Boss and Ross came in Miami as an 11th seed and pulled off a string of upsets to land themselves in the final, Ross's first. In Dallas, the two jumped to the eighth seed and came off with a seventh-place finish. Both are higher than Ross ever placed last year.
In her first season, Ross and Burdine took home two ninth-place finishes, and competitors saw their potential. At the end of the season, the players voted Ross 2006 Rookie of the Year.
"It was really surprising," Ross said of the award. "There's added pressure but you'll always have that award. It's a really cool honor.
Her youth has gotten her noticed, but Ross hopes her sharp playing and smart choices keep her in the limelight and the top 10 finishes. She realizes that she has limited time to capitalize on the learning opportunities around her.
"These older women that have played for so long aren't going to be around much longer, so if I'm going to play with someone and learn from someone I have to do it now," Ross said.