April Ross didn’t exactly follow the straight-and-narrow when it came to sports. She grew up watching soccer and basketball, eventually making them her focus as an athlete. But a predictable sports journey? Not her style. Before long, volleyball stole her heart, and she dove headfirst into indoor volleyball, making it her new obsession. But at 24, she took a surprising exit from the indoor game. For most college athletes, that might’ve marked the end of the line. Not April, though. Buckle up, because this is where her story takes a twist. Enter beach volleyball.

April Ross made her comeback on the sand, and let’s just say, she didn’t look back. Eighteen years, 16 seasons, and three Olympic medals later, she’s a beach volleyball legend. So, what drew her out of retirement and into beach volleyball’s sunny side? Trust me, she’s got a great story behind that switch.

A change in direction came chasing an undeniable urge

At 42, April Ross has not let the dust settle on her decade-old tale. Instead, her vivid memory recounts each chapter of her life like a storybook. Hard to believe? Recently, the beach volleyball legend sat down with Nischal Schwager-Patel of Olympics.com for an in-depth discussion of her athletic career. During the conversation, she shared the key issues that once drove her away from indoor volleyball. According to her, her indoor career never allowed her to hold the reins of her own destiny. Moreover, the lifestyle that accompanied her indoor volleyball journey never provided her with a truly satisfying life. Need an example? The Olympian shared one from her three-year-long professional indoor volleyball career.

According to Ross, her low income from indoor volleyball used to make her travel with the team. But those experiences never came as memorable. How? She described, “When you travel sometimes as a big team, you get the seat you get and you’re travelling to these far places in the middle seat with no leg room, and it’s so uncomfortable.” Yet, in beach volleyball, Ross never encountered a similar experience. Additionally, she claimed, “I loved the fact that I could control my own destiny on the beach,” while talking about her tenure in beach volleyball. 

Naturally, her 18-year-long career, which saw both the sun and moon over the head, has filled her heart with joy. “The lifestyle was amazing,” the former Olympic champion said. That seemed to be her reason for switching her stream to volleyball in 2006. But now, she is on the brink of another major turn in her career. Use your brain power to guess. 

The volleyball duchess is set to shift gears again 

In 2022, April Ross paired with Emily Campers to continue her play on the global platform. Remember, in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she came with Alix Klineman to snag the gold. The camaraderie between the American duo proved to be heavy to the opponents’ challenges. Result? They left the Japanese capital with gold medals around their necks. However, in 2022, Ross competed only in two matches in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. After that, she had to take a sabbatical from the sport because of her pregnancy. But she kept herself connected with the sport through various off-court activities. Now, this year, she came back after giving birth to her son, Ross. 

However, due to her physical situation, April Ross missed the Paris Olympics. But that didn’t douse her fire for one last run. She convinced Klineman to join her for one final dance. The perfect partner had just returned from her motherhood leave (she had her baby in 2023) and was also waiting for a call-up. Voila! The duo decided to make their return to the AVP Tour and AVP League, with plans to bid adieu to the sport after that. The plan is still on—after November 10, April Ross and Alix Klineman will join the list of retired beach volleyball players. Their fans won’t want to miss watching them create magic on the sand one last time.