LONDON (AP) — April Ross and Jennifer Kessy walked off the Olympic sand with one flag draped over them both, wearing the stars and stripes and also big smiles as the second-best U.S. beach volleyball team. And the second-best in the world.
The Olympic rookies lost 21-16, 21-16 to three-time champions Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor on Wednesday night — and falling short in an all-American final was a remarkable accomplishment in itself for these two.
They were never supposed to beat their world power American teammates. They were never supposed to make it to the gold-medal match at all in their Olympic debut.
Now, Ross and Kessy have little time to celebrate second place and get over coming so close to their first title of the year. On Monday, a day after they will attend the closing ceremony of the London Games, they’re off to Poland for a grand slam event that’s key for making money and piling up points.
