LONG BEACH –— Network television cameras will still capture images of April Ross this weekend at the Federation Internationale de Volleyball World Series of Beach Volleyball at Marine Green Park. But it won't be in the more prestigious Grand Slam event.
The 2012 Olympic silver medalist and former world champion, and her longtime partner Jennifer Kessy, the No. 1-seeded pair, were ousted, 21-15, 13-21, 16-14, Thursday in the women's round of 16, by the No. 5-seeded Brazilian tandem of Agatha Bednarczuk and Maria Antonelli.
Ross and Kessy will be one of four teams in women's World Series Cup contested Saturday and Sunday.
Ross and Kessy, playing together in competition for the first time in a month, rallied from a 9-6 deficit to take a 12-10 lead in Game 3, the latter two points coming off the final two of six ace serves in the match by Ross. But the Brazilian duo that defeated Ross and three-time Olympic gold medalist Keri Walsh Jennings in the previous FIVB Grand Slam event earlier this month in Gstaad, Switzerland, rallied to knot the score at 12, then came up with a stuff block against Ross to take a one-point lead.