April Ross, Alix Klineman Win Beach Volleyball Gold for Team USA

Ross and Klineman completed their dominant run at the 2020 Games, dropping just one set in the entire tournament.

All tournament long, Team USA's women's beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman marched on nearly undaunted with their sights set on capturing a gold medal. In the final match on Friday, that journey reached its triumphant conclusion.

Ross and Klineman defeated Australia's Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Sola in straight sets, 21–15 and 21–16, to bring home gold for the U.S. for the first time since 2012.

🗣 THE A-TEAM!!!

April Ross & Alix Klineman go undefeated en route to #GOLD in Women's Beach Volleyball 🥇🇺🇸 #Tokyo2020

(via @NBCOlympics) pic.twitter.com/NgZL8g1uam

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 6, 2021

Ross and Klineman lost just one set the entire tournament, rarely looking out of control en route to the final round. For Ross, the win is her third Olympic medal and first gold, while Klineman was participating in her first Games.

Gold for April Ross and Alix Klineman 🥇

Their dominant Tokyo Olympics:

🏐 7 wins, 0 losses
🏐 Won 14 out of 15 sets

🏐 Stormed through the knockout bracket 2-0, 2-0, 2-0, 2-0

🏐 April Ross's third Olympic medal, first gold

🏐 USA's 4th women's gold in the last 5 Olympics pic.twitter.com/9qVjrhpM1i

— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) August 6, 2021

The United States has won gold in four of the past five Games, but settled for bronze in Rio in 2016. The previous three gold medals were all won by Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

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