April Ross

Barry Faulkner

By its very nature, volleyball feeds the competitor’s soul. With

point after rally scoring point, rotation after rotation, the

challenges are as diverse as they are constant, as unrelenting as

they are complex.

It is in this culture of competition that USC senior April Ross

both excites and excels. Here, where each play quickly drifts into

oblivion, trod unceremoniously upon by the rush to make the next,

victory is merely a byproduct of the will to conquer, or, as she puts

it, crush the opposition.

Blessed with supreme athleticism, years of highly advanced

coaching and the motivational matrix few can match, the 6-foot-1

Newport Harbor High product is a winning machine on the court ...

even in the hallways between classes.

“I think I’m competitive almost to a fault,” Ross said before

leading the top-seeded Women of Troy to first- and second-round

victories in the NCAA championships Friday and Saturday. “It’s just a

part of me and I can’t really help it. But I’ve learned to recognize

it and I try to play it down in situations off the court. Like I’ll

catch myself trying to walk faster than the person next to me at

school. It’s so stupid.”

On the court, however, these instincts, combined with her talent,

render the soon-to-be four-time All-American an imposing presence

that has helped produce a 31-0 record this season. Including last

year’s run to the NCAA crown, USC has won 43 straight matches, one

shy of the NCAA record.

And, having already been named Pac-10 Conference Player of the

Year, Ross is a leading candidate for NCAA Player of the Year, as

well, according to her appreciative coach, Mick Haley.

“I don’t know many kids in the country who can do all the things

she can do to help her team win,” Haley said. “She can play middle,

outside or set, she’s a great defensive player and a great passer.

She’s just truly a gifted volleyball player with an all-around game

you don’t see in players anymore.”

Ross, a team co-captain, leads USC in kills (359) service aces

(55), is second in digs (305) and is fourth in blocks (69). Her

unique skill set allows Haley to pick and chose how to best utilize

her.

“She may not rank among the national leaders in any one

statistical category, but she’s good in every one,” Haley said.

“We’re a team by committee and she’s definitely the head of the

committee.”

With two weeks and four prospective victories separating her from

a culminating repeat national championship, Ross is flattered by the

flowery praise. But she will not allow it to deter her from her goal.

And, after a dominant regular season, during which only Cal

extended USC to five games and only four others avoided a sweep, Ross

said she will savor the remainder of her postseason.

“I look forward to the [NCAA tournament] more,” she said. “This

time of year is what you play for. We feel like it’s an ultimatum.

It’s now or never. We want to crush teams.”

USC meets Texas A&M; in a regional semifinal Friday at Nebraska. A

victory would propel it to a regional final Saturday against either

UCLA or the host Cornhuskers. The semifinals and final in Dallas are

Dec. 18 and 20.

Ross, who plans to obtain her degree in global business in the

spring of 2006, said she plans to take the spring semester off to

begin a professional indoor career in Europe. She also said she may

play on the pro beach tour in the summer, but foresees a brief stint

as a professional.

“I’m excited to experience a different spin on the game, but I

only see myself playing for three more years max,” she said.

What then? She’s considering law school and a potential career in

environmental law, where, not surprisingly, the stakes outweigh any

match point.