Alix Klineman and April Ross took down Germany’s Maggie Kozuch and Laura Ludwig to advance to the Olympic beach volleyball semifinals. A win will put the U.S. duo in contention for gold. A loss will have Klineman and Ross fighting it out for bronze.
“Staying motivated is really easy at this point, at this stage of the game. I mean, we can pretty much taste a medal,” Klineman said after the match.
Ross has been here before. The Costa Mesa native has two Olympic medals in three previous Olympic appearances. Should she and Klineman oust Anouk Verge-Depre and Joana Heidrich of Switzerland on Thursday morning in Japan (Wednesday night in the U.S.), Ross will compete for her first gold medal since the 2012 London Games.
Jen Kessy and Ross won silver in 2012, falling to Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor in an all-U.S. gold medal match. Ross went on to win bronze with Walsh Jennings at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Klineman and Ross have only dropped one set through five matches and are the last remaining U.S. team in the women’s beach volleyball tournament after Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes fell to Canada in the round of 16 after a controversial video review.
The other semifinal will feature Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho of Australia vs. Anastasija Kravcenoka and Tina Graudina of Latvia.
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Alix Klineman and April Ross face Switzerland in Olympic beach volleyball semifinals originally appeared on NBCSports.com