Ross comes up short in finale

BY TONY LEE

HERMOSA BEACH — The anger set in once again after April Ross let a chance to serve for the championship slip through her fingers at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ Hermosa Beach Open.

Ross, a former Newport Harbor High standout, hit the ball into the net and didn’t have another opportunity to serve for the championship Saturday as the top-seeded team of Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs won, 19-21, 23-21, 15-11.

The Hermosa Beach champs are 20-9 against Ross and Kessy, 17-6 against them in AVP matches.

“I’m super pissed that we lose to them,” Ross said of usually losing to Branagh and Youngs, the team that won its seventh AVP title this season. “It’s the most frustrating thing ever ... We should be winning so it sucks.”

If it’s any consolation Branagh and Youngs are 48-2 on the AVP tour this season and the losses have come against Ross and Kessy, seeded No. 2 here.

The chance for victory was there in the second set.

Ross and Kessy trailed, 19-17, and picked up three straight unanswered points to serve for the championship. But after a timeout was taken by Branagh, the No. 1-seeded team took over.

“You can’t let that team come back to a third game,” said Kessy, who had 16 kills and eight digs. “You can’t. If we have them on the ropes in that second game, we have to win that game.”

But fatigue might have been a factor. Ross, who had 20 kills and 11 digs, said she was surprised at how well she and Kessy played because they’ve had a busy season and have traveled often recently.

The tandem’s last victory came less than two weeks ago at the Federation Internationale de Volleyball World Tour in Marseille, France and that is one of the many international events they play during the season.

“This is one of the hardest tournaments because we had to play it in two days,” Kessy said. “They were hurrying us along, it’s hot and honestly it was really difficult. I’m really proud of how we played and how we stuck with it.”

Their opponent also echoed Kessy’s view.

“Hats off to Jen and April,” Youngs said. “It is always a tough match against them — [they’re] world champions — and they were playing great. So we were lucky to get by them.”

Ross and Kessy said they will rest the next few days and get back to practicing for their next event that starts on Friday in San Francisco.

“We always want to win every single tournament,” Ross said. “We know probably not likely but that’s what we shoot for. So if we’re not doing that, we’re not happy.”