6’5″ beach volleyballer Alix Klineman is expected to make her return to th beach at the upcoming San Francisco Open stop of the 2018 AVP Beach Volleyball Tour from July 5th-8th. Klineman was the 2017 AVP Rookie of the Year at 27-years old.
In her second summer of full-time beach play after transitioning from the indoor game, she missed the last stop of the AVP Tour, in Seattle, while rehabbing what her partner April Ross called a “flare up.”
Ross played Seattle with Caitlin Ledoux, and the two advanced to the final where they lost to #2 seeds Emily Day/Betsi Flint 2-1 (Day/Flint earned $15,000 for the win, Ross/Klineman received $10,000 for 2nd).
Klineman, then playing with Lane Carico, finished 2nd at last year’s SFO tournament, losing to Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen.
Ross and Klineman teamed up for the 2018 season and earned the gold medal at their opening effort, the Hague Four Star in January. The pair was 25th at the Fort Lauderdale Five Star in March, fifth at the Xiamen Four Star in April and ninth at the Huntington Beach AVP/FIVB event in May.
On the AVP stage, the duo finished atop the podium at the Austin Open May 20. Klineman/Ross finished tied for third at the New York City Open, June 10.
Klineman was a four-time All-American at Stanford (2007-10) and was the 2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior. She went on to play professional in Brazil and Italy indoors, before turning to the beach game with Ross.
Ross has had several partners over the years since joining the pro tour in 2006. The USC alumna won silver at the 2012 London Olympics alongside Jennifer Kessy. In 2016, she teamed up with Kerri Walsh Jennings to take bronze. The duo split up in 2017 amidst Walsh Jennings’ public dispute with the AVP regarding mandatory contracts and a breach of contract lawsuit.
Walsh Jennings is now playing with Nicole Branagh on the FIVB stage and has announced the formation of her own tour, p1440, which is set to begin this fall.
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