USA Volleyball tabs 3-time Olympic medalist April Ross to head beach coach with LA Games looming
FILE - April Ross, of the United States, celebrates a play during a women's beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - April Ross, of the United States, dives for the ball during a women's beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - April Ross, of the United States, dives for the ball during a women's beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - April Ross, of the United States, celebrates a play during a women's beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - April Ross, of the United States, dives for the ball during a women's beach volleyball Gold Medal match against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
USA Volleyball has named three-time Olympic medalist April Ross as head of coaching for the beach national teams, turning to one of the country's most successful beach volleyball players after the Americans had their first-ever medal shutout in Paris.
The national governing body said the southern California native will work to improve the performance of 'our top American athletes on the international stage' as it looks ahead to hosting the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Advertisement
'I'm honored to join USA Volleyball in this new role and look forward to working with our coaches and athletes to continue the legacy of success on the international stage,' Ross said. 'I've always believed in the power of collaboration, and I'm excited to be part of a team that shares that vision.'
Ross, 42, won a silver medal in London, a bronze in Rio de Janeiro and a gold medal in Tokyo — with three different partners; she also won back-to-back NCAA indoor volleyball titles at Southern California.
'April brings a unique combination of elite-level experience, deep technical knowledge, and a passion for mentoring,' said Sean Scott, director of beach national teams. 'She's competed at the highest levels and understands what it takes to succeed. I'm excited to work alongside her as we continue to build a world-class coaching culture that supports our athletes' growth and prepares them to win at the highest level.'
The Americans dominated beach volleyball after the sport that was conceived on the coasts of Hawaii and California was added to the Olympic program in 1996, winning seven of the first 14 Olympic gold medals. But the haul has sputtered as the generation that included Ross and three-time gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings aged out.
Advertisement
The U.S. women failed to medal in Paris for the first time since 2000; the American men have not medaled at all since 2008.
USA Volleyball said Ross will be based at the beach volleyball training center in Torrance, California, and work to improve the quality of coaching and training at all levels of the national team program.
'April's leadership and dedication to the sport are unmatched, and we are thrilled to have her in this new role,' USA Volleyball President and CEO John Speraw said. 'She is a true champion and a mentor who understands the value of collaboration and developing the next generation of elite athletes. We are confident that her expertise will continue to elevate U.S. Beach Volleyball on the global stage, especially as we look ahead to LA 2028.'
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
O'Connor left out of Australia's Lions warm-up squad
The last of James O'Connor's 64 caps for Australia came in 2022 [Getty Images] Veteran fly-half James O'Connor looks set to miss out on facing the British and Irish Lions this summer after being left out of Australia's squad to face Fiji in their only warm-up match. The 34-year-old, who has made 64 appearances for the Wallabies, had been tipped to return to Joe Schmidt's squad for the first time in three years. Advertisement But number 10s Ben Donaldson, Tom Lynagh and Noah Lolesio have been picked over Crusaders' O'Connor. "Selection is always tight and there'll be players who are excited and those that are disappointed," Schmidt said. "There was a lot of healthy, robust discussion and we think we've selected a group that will work hard and connect well as a squad." New South Wales Waratahs back Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has been named in the 36-man squad after recovering from a fractured jaw. The 21-year-old had an operation on his jaw last month, sparking fears he would miss at least one of the Tests against the Lions. Advertisement Team-mate David Porecki has been recalled to the squad for the first time since captaining Australia at the 2023 World Cup, when the Wallabies failed to emerge from the group stage for the first time. La Rochelle lock Will Skelton is the only overseas-based player included in the Wallabies' squad. Australia squad Backs: Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright. Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Zane Nonggorr, Billy Pollard, David Porecki, Tom Robertson , Will Skelton, James Slipper, Darcy Swain, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson.
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
New Zealand coroner raises alarm over ‘perilous' rugby-inspired collision sport
A New Zealand coroner has condemned the unregulated 'Runit' sport, where players sprint and crash into each other for dominance, highlighting its risks of head injuries and lack of safety measures. The Runit Championship League offers substantial cash prizes and has gained popularity through social media, but it faces backlash after a tragic death and multiple injuries during its events. Despite concerns and calls for a ban in New Zealand, the league shifted its finals to Dubai, flying competitors to the event scheduled for 28 June. For more rugby news, visit our dedicated section. A New Zealand coroner on Thursday condemned a 'perilous' rugby-inspired sport in which competitors sprint and crash into each other without protective gear. 'Runit' competitors line up 20 metres apart and run directly at each other, with the winner being the person who 'dominates the collision'. Coroner Bruce Hesketh issued the warning as a separate comment in his report into a club player who died after being tackled in a traditional rugby league game. The Australian-based Runit Championship League set up a base in New Zealand this year. It offers a NZ$20 000 prize to winners of regional competitions and NZ$200 000 to the overall winner of the tournament. Fuelled by social media, unsanctioned splinter events have been held in both Australia and New Zealand. In May, 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite died in New Zealand after suffering a serious head injury during one such event. Hesketh, who is not looking into the teenager's death, said he was concerned about the Runit events. 'The competition has all the hallmarks of perilous activity that makes no attempt to mitigate head injury,' he said. 'There appears to be no governing body, the activity is not regulated and has no written publicly accessible rules of participation. 'Neither is there any information to players around the signs and dangers of concussion or concussion management.' Hesketh said the goal in rugby union or rugby league is to avoid tackles, whereas the goal in Runit competition is the opposite. 'Furthermore, all the applicable team sporting bodies involved have invested heavily in concussion awareness, prevention, identity and management,' Hesketh said. Runit events 'should not be recognised as an official sport', he said. The Runit Championship League touts itself as the 'home of collisions'. After Satterthwaite's death, New Zealand police warned people to be wary of the 'significant' injury risks. In the Runit Championship League's first event in Auckland in May, two people were knocked out, and one man ended up having seizures after suffering a head injury. The collision that led to the seizures was greeted with loud cheers from a crowd of more than 1 000 people. The league organisers had planned to host the final event in Auckland but moved it to Dubai after calls for it to be banned in New Zealand. The league is flying all competitors to the 28 June final at the Agenda Arena in Dubai.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Selwyn Cobbo facing dire situation as Broncos agree on $3.5m deals with teammates
Selwyn Cobbo's hopes of remaining in Brisbane have taken a crushing new blow, with reports the Broncos have extended the contracts of three players in a $3.5 million retention blitz. Cobbo is on around $650,000 this season but a salary cap crunch at the club has left his future in doubt and the Broncos are yet to table the off-contract star a fresh deal after prioritising other players. And in a further setback for the former Origin star, Brisbane have now locked down three of his teammates in a move that looks set to push Cobbo out of the club, unless he agrees to take a significant pay cut to stay. According to , Brisbane have finalised extensions for captain Adam Reynolds, gun centre Kotoni Staggs and promising young hooker, Blake Mozer. It emerged last week that Reynolds snubbed a two-year, $1.5 million move to the Wests Tigers to stay in Brisbane, where he's settled with his wife and four kids. Reynolds has turned down around $1 million and an extra year to pen a one-year extension with the Broncos. 'There were quite a number of clubs that showed interest in 'Reyno',' Brisbane coach Michael Maguire told The Courier Mail after confirming Reynolds' extension. 'Reyno has shown that he wants to stay and achieve what he came to the club to achieve, which is winning a premiership... I have no doubt he can play for another 12 months." RELATED: NRL fans call for Terrell May after costly Blues blunder in Origin 2 Blues legend proven right as Slater hailed over 'masterstroke' move Were NSW denied a blatant penalty that could have changed Origin 2? In a further boost for the Broncos ahead of Sunday's home game against the Sharks, the club has also finalised a three-year extension for Staggs, worth around $800,000 per season. Staggs won the Allan Langer Award as the club's best back last season and Maguire elevated him to Brisbane's leadership group in 2025 shortly after taking over as coach. 'He has developed a lot as a person and over the last two or three months I've seen him step up as a leader," Maguire said. 'He is great in team meetings, he is vocal and is setting the standards of what we want to achieve here.' The Broncos have also moved to lock down young hooker Mozer for two more seasons. Mozer has played nine NRL games since debuting in 2023 and was in the mix to be Brisbane's first-choice dummy half at the start of the year but suffered a shoulder injury in pre-season and is yet to feature in 2025. Reynolds, Staggs, Mozer. Brisbane go on an extension spree. Reynolds for 12 months, Staggs until 2028 while Mozer is staying put until 2027. Three big coups for Brisbane !! — The League Scene (@LeagueScenePod) June 19, 2025 What Brisbane's multi-million dollar extensions mean for Cobbo remains to be seen though. The former Maroons star's future was already in jeopardy before he was dropped for Brisbane's big win over the Titans in round 14. And Cobbo was again left out of the Broncos' squad for Sunday's game against Cronulla. With Josiah Karapani impressing as Cobbo's replacement on the wing, it appears as though Cobbo could be set for an extended stint in reserve grade. And it only raises the likelihood of a big-money move away from Brisbane. It's understood Cobbo sees himself as a fullback and could potentially command offers in excess of $900,000 per season if he did choose to join a rival club. Cobbo's management have reportedly been sounding out interest from rival clubs and are keen to sort out his future in the coming months, with the Dragons, Roosters and Tigers among those linked with a move for the 23-year-old. There is also the possibility that Cobbo could sign a one-year extension at Brisbane on a reduced salary, before chasing the riches on offer at expansion teams Perth or Papua New Guinea.
