Honors: Sailors’ Ross Sea View Athlete of the Year

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - April Ross, whose superlative volleyball talent

serves to obscure her other notable contributions in sports like track

and field and basketball, is the Sea View League Female Athlete of the

Year.

Ross, the Gatorade National Player of the Year in volleyball last fall,

will likely focus on that sport next year at USC.

But her athletic focus as a prep included a strong field-event career in

the spring, as well as several accolades in basketball, before giving

that up as a senior.

It is volleyball, however, in which Ross forged a national reputation,

leading the Sailors to three straight CIF Southern Section Division I-AA

championships, as well as back-to-back state crowns.

The 6-foot-1 standout dominated primarily from her outside hitter spot,

though she diversified as a senior, also handling duty at setter and

middle blocker for Coach Dan Glenn’s juggernaut.

Before being named the nation’s top high school player, Ross shared CIF

Division I Player of the Year laurels and was also the Newport-Mesa

District and Sea View League MVP.

The Sailors were 37-2 and won their fourth straight Sea View title, all

achieved with Ross’ help.

As a junior, Ross was Co-MVP in CIF Division I, the Newport-Mesa District

and the Sea View League after helping the Tars compile a 40-1 record.

As a sophomore, she was first-team All-CIF Division I and all-league as

the Tars won the section crown. They were defeated, however, in the

regional semifinals by Marina.

In those three seasons, with Ross in the starting lineup, Harbor was

98-6. As a role player her freshman season, Harbor went 16-5.

Her freshman season, however, was good to her in track and field, as she

won the section high jump title in Division II. She went on to finish

second at the Masters Meet, but was eliminated in the state

preliminaries.

As a sophomore, she was second at Sea View League Finals in the high

jump, long jump and triple jump and was fourth at section finals in the

high jump and triple jump. She qualified for Masters (all divisions) in

the triple jump.

Injuries plagued her junior track season, but she rebounded as a senior.

She won the league high jump crown, was second in the triple jump and

fourth in the long jump.

She was seventh in the Division II high jump at section finals and eighth

in the triple jump.

Before giving up basketball, interrupting a grueling athletic schedule

complicated by club volleyball workouts, she was Newport-Mesa District

Co-Player of the Year as a junior.

She averaged 13.3 points and close to 10 rebounds that season, earning

first-team all-league recognition for the 15-13 Tars.

As a sophomore, Ross, who never played organized basketball before

joining the varsity as a freshman, was also first-team All-Sea View and

all-district, after averaging 8.3 points and about eight rebounds.

Despite her avid athletic pursuits, she was never too busy to devote time

to her studies, in which she fashioned a 3.5 GPA.